Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson added 23 as the Houston Rockets cruised past the Toronto Raptors 113–99 on Tuesday night.
Durant was nearly unstoppable, shooting 12 of 16 from the field and pulling down seven rebounds, with 22 of his points coming in the first half. Thompson hit the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games, converting 6 of 10 field goals and 10 free throws. Jabari Smith Jr. also finished with 23 points, while Alperen Sengun recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, helping Houston pull into a tie for third place in the Western Conference.
The Rockets came out firing, shooting 60% in the first quarter and outrebounding Toronto 11–5. Despite six turnovers, Houston managed to keep the game even early, but closed the first half on a 14–4 run to take a 58–49 lead. Houston finished the game shooting 49% from the floor, dominating the glass 53–30, and scoring 22 second-chance points to Toronto’s five.
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 25 points, and Scottie Barnes added 24, but Toronto struggled from deep, making just 9 of 36 three-point attempts. The loss cuts the Raptors’ lead over the Orlando Magic for fifth place in the Eastern Conference to just half a game.
Up next: Toronto heads to New Orleans to face the Pelicans on Wednesday, while Houston travels to Denver to take on the Nuggets the same night.
