Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Alperen Sengun added 22 as the Houston Rockets pulled away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 102-95 on Tuesday night.
Holding a six-point lead entering the final period, Houston opened the fourth on a 7-0 run to stretch the margin to 85-72 with 10:30 remaining. Kawhi Leonard briefly halted the surge with a pair of free throws, but the Rockets answered with four straight points to maintain control.
Houston pushed its advantage to 12 midway through the quarter when Durant stripped Brook Lopez and Reed Sheppard converted an off-balance 3-pointer to make it 92-77 with about 6 1/2 minutes left. The Rockets led by as many as 15 shortly thereafter, prompting Clippers coach Tyronn Lue to empty his bench.
Leonard paced Los Angeles with 24 points after erupting for 41 in a December blowout win over Houston. The Clippers, who hit 20 3-pointers in that 128-108 victory, struggled from deep this time, shooting just 8 for 30 from beyond the arc.
Sengun helped Houston regain momentum late in the third quarter after a Jordan Miller 3-pointer cut the deficit to two. Sengun scored the final two baskets of the period to give the Rockets a 78-72 edge heading into the fourth.
Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Amen Thompson added 16 points in his return from illness. Bennedict Mathurin finished with nine points and seven rebounds in his first appearance since being acquired in a trade from Indiana last week. Darius Garland, who was obtained in the deal that sent James Harden to Cleveland, remained sidelined with a toe injury.
Up next:
The teams will meet again Wednesday night in Houston in their final game before the All-Star break.
