HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Alperen Sengun added 22 to help the Houston Rockets to a 102-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Houston led by six points at the start the fourth period and scored the first seven points of the quarter to extend its lead to 85-72 with 10 ½ minutes remaining. Kawhi Leonard made two free throws, but the Rockets scored the next four points to extend the lead.
The Rockets were up by
12 later in the fourth when Durant stole the ball from Brook Lopez, and Reed Sheppard made an off-balance 3-pointer to make it 92-77 with about 6 ½ minutes to go.
Houston remained up by 15 about a minute later when Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue cleared his bench.
Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points after scoring 41 in a blowout win in December in the last meeting between the teams. Los Angeles made 20 3-pointers in that 128-108 victory, but was just 8 for 30 from long range on Tuesday.
Jabari Smith Jr. had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Amen Thompson added 16 points for the Rockets in his return after sitting out of Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City because of an illness.
A 3-pointer by Jordan Miller cut the lead to two points late in the third before Sengun scored the last two baskets of the quarter to put the Rockets up 78-72 entering the fourth.
Bennedict Mathurin had nine points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes in his first game since a trade from Indiana last week. Darius Garland, acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to Cleveland, remains out with a toe injury.
The teams meet again Wednesday night in Houston in their last game before the All-Star break.
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