Online Reporter
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 26 points and Alperen Sengun had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the visiting Houston Rockets to a 128-101 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
Amen Thompson added 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for Houston, which has won three in a row since an 0-2 start. The loss ended Boston’s three-game winning streak.
The Rockets shot 54.5 percent from the field and 65.5percent from 3-point territory (19 of 29). Houston has scored 137, 139 and 128 points over its last three games.
Baylor Scheierman was Boston’s leading scorer with 17 points. Payton Pritchard added 14 and Jaylen Brown finished with 12 points in 22 minutes.
Derrick White shot 2 of 11 from the field and was limited to five points in 19 minutes. Boston shot 38.8percent from the field and 31.8percent from 3-point range (14 of 44). The Rockets attempted 35 free throws, 28 more than the Celtics, and had a 53-36 edge in rebounding. Houston’s Jabari Smith, Josh Okogie, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard each finished with 12 points and Clint Capela pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Rockets led 37-24 after one quarter and held their largest lead of the first half when a Smith 3-pointer pushed the lead to 66-46 with 1:03 left in the second quarter. It was 66-48 at halftime.
Durant scored 20 points in the first half, when Houston shot 57.1percent from the field, including 9 of 16 from 3-point territory. The Rockets outrebounded the Celtics 29-17 through two quarters. Houston had a 97-72 advantage entering the final 12 minutes. Boston faced its largest deficit of the season when two Aaron Holiday free throws gave the Rockets a 118-82 lead with 6:12 to play.
It was Boston’s fifth game in seven nights. Indiana Pacers 114-109 Golden State Warriors
Aaron Nesmith poured in a season-high 31 points, Quenton Jackson and Pascal Siakam buried key 3-pointers down the stretch and the short-handed Indiana Pacers outfinished the visiting Golden State Warriors for a 114-109 victory Saturday night in Indianapolis.
Facing a winless team playing the second night of a back-to-back without Tyrese Haliburton, Ben Mathurin, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell, the Warriors appeared to be on their way to a comfortable win when Stephen Curry nailed a 3-pointer for a 104-93 lead with 6:05 remaining.
But the Pacers took charge from there, initially using a 9-0 run to get back into the game before finally overtaking the visitors at 109-107 with 1:09 to play on a Jackson 3-pointer following a Jarace Walker offensive rebound.
Jimmy Butler III had a chance to put Golden State back on top, but he missed a free throw after getting fouled on a game-tying dunk with 56 seconds left.
Siakam then drilled the difference-maker, a 26-footer with 37 seconds remaining to break the tie and put Indiana on top for good en route to its first win in six tries this season.
After Jonathan Kuminga misfired on a potential game-tying 3-pointer, Jackson capped a 25-point night with a two-point bank shot with 5.2 seconds to go.
Orlando Magic 125-94 Washington Wizards
Paolo Banchero scored 28 points and added 11 rebounds, and the visiting Orlando Magic thrashed the Washington Wizards 125-94 on Saturday.
Orlando shot 51.1percent from the field and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. The Magic have won two straight following a four-game losing streak.
Washington was unable to recover after being outscored 43-21 in the second quarter. The Wizards have lost four straight and five of their first six game
Franz Wagner added 25 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which outscored the Wizards 62-52 on points in the paint. Goga Bitadze chipped in 15 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
The Magic won their 11th straight meeting against Washington, dating back to March 21, 2023. Orlando shot 33.3percent from 3-point range and 86.4percent (19-for-22) from the free-throw line.
Kyshawn George led the Wizards with 17 points. CJ McCollum scored 13 points, and Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly added 10 apiece.
George scored 10 of Washington’s first 18 points to help the Wizards take a 35-32 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Magic built a double-digit lead in the second quarter while scoring 43 points, including a 17-8 run to close the half. That gave them a 75-56 lead at intermission and marked the Magic’s most first-half points this season.
Banchero scored 23 points in the first half and Wagner had 20 for Orlando, which shot 60.9percent from the field for the half.
Orlando’s 43 points during the second quarter tied the franchise record for most points ever scored in a second period.
The Magic maintained their momentum and led 87-61 after opening the third quarter on a 12-5 run.Orlando outscored Washington 28-19 in the third quarter and took a 103-75 lead into the final period.
Both teams rested their starters in the final minutes, and Orlando made three straight 3-pointers during an 11-2 run to close out the game. —Reuters.
Mathew Masinge