Durant's 30 points fueled Houston's dominance. A late Pacers surge narrowed the gap, but Houston's control ultimately prevailed. Pacers leave empty-handed with a ninth straight loss in Houston.
The Houston Rockets kept rolling at home on Monday night, taking care of the Indiana Pacers 126-119 and extending their home winning streak to five straight. It wasn’t clean all the way through, but it was controlled where it mattered- and it looked familiar. No Alperen Şengün again, Steven Adams starting in his place, Tari Eason back in the lineup, and Kevin Durant doing Kevin Durant things with another 30-point night.
Indiana came in with the worst record in the league at 6-26 and a long injury list, most notably without Tyrese Haliburton, who’s been out for the season. The Pacers want pace, but without their engine, they struggle to create anything easy.
Houston came out with real energy. Durant dropped 13 in the first, Amen Thompson added eight, and the Rockets built a nine-point lead. Indiana stayed afloat by bombing threes- six straight at one point- but a late 10-3 Houston run closed the quarter with the Rockets up 30-25.
The second quarter is where the game started to tilt. Houston stretched the lead to as many as 20, forcing the Pacers into late-clock decisions. Indiana’s offense stalled when the initial look wasn’t there. The Rockets went on a 9-1 run, dominated the glass, and completely erased second chances. Indiana didn’t grab a single offensive rebound in the quarter.
By halftime, Houston had drawn 14 fouls while committing just five, outrebounded the Pacers 27-13, and shot 57-percent from the floor. Amen Thompson had 14, Adams had eight, and Durant was steady at 6-for-12. The Rockets went into the break up 66-48.
Indiana tried to hang around after halftime by leaning even harder into the three-point shot. They went 5-for-9 from deep in the third, but that can’t be the entire plan. Houston matched them shot for shot, also going 5-for-9 from three and shooting a ridiculous 74-percent overall in the quarter. Halfway through the third, the game already felt decided. The lead extended to 28 at one point, and the Rockets closed the quarter up 105-78.
Steven Adams sprained his ankle late in the third and didn’t return, and the Pacers suddenly flipped a switch. In the final frame, Indiana forced turnovers, pushed in transition, shot 70-percent in the quarter, knocked down four more threes, and outscored Houston 41-21. They made it uncomfortable late, tightening defensively and going on a brief run in the final 90 seconds, but there simply wasn’t enough time.
Houston finished nearly 60-percent from the field. Durant went 13-for-20 for 30. Jabari Smith Jr. added a double-double with 21 and ten. Indiana shot the lights out from deep at 53-percent, but even that wasn’t enough.
The Rockets controlled the parts of the game that last the longest- rebounding, physicality, and discipline- and that was the difference. Discipline once again reigns over shotmaking.