Kevin Durant poured in a season-high 40 points — 26 in the second half — as the Rockets erased a 19-point deficit in less than four minutes to stun the Magic on Thursday night.
Orlando led 76-57 midway through the third quarter after Paolo Banchero turned a steal into a dunk, but Houston responded with a stunning 21-0 run. Reed Sheppard sparked the surge with three 3-pointers and 11 points during the burst, finishing with 20 points off the bench and five second-half 3s.
Alperen Sengun added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for Houston, which made 10 of its final 17 3-point attempts after starting 1 of 12 from deep.
Desmond Bane led Orlando with 30 points, hitting all five of his 3-pointers in the first half. Banchero contributed 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. The Magic briefly regained a five-point lead in the fourth before Durant scored seven straight points and assisted on a Sengun layup to put Houston ahead 101-100 with 3:07 left. The Rockets held on from there.
Up next: The Rockets visit Miami on Saturday. The Magic host Detroit on Sunday.
