Rockets roared back from an 11-point deficit, fueled by Durant's 35 points and suffocating defense, to secure their fifth straight road win.
The Rockets didn’t just survive in Charlotte on Thursday night- they imposed themselves, and walked out of Spectrum Center with their fourth straight victory in that building and their fifth straight road victory. This match also marked Charlotte’s just second loss in their last 12 games.
After trailing 33-24 at the end of the first quarter, Houston flipped the entire tone of the game in the second. They outscored the Hornets 29-19 in the period, erased an 11-point deficit, and reclaimed control before halftime.
As Kevin Durant put it postgame with Vanessa Richardson, “I think we won this game really at the end of that second quarter,” and he wasn’t wrong.
That stretch reset everything.
Charlotte had come out flying- Grant Williams drilled threes, Knueppel was aggressive early, and LaMelo Ball pushed tempo. But Houston tightened up defensively, got active in passing lanes, and leaned into physicality.
By the break, the Rockets had stabilized the glass, matched Charlotte’s paint scoring, and forced tougher late-clock looks.
The second half was a heavyweight exchange.
Williams stayed hot, opening the third by moving to 4-for-4 from deep. Knueppel lobbed one up for Brandon Miller to hammer home. But Durant was methodical all night.
Despite consistent doubles on the wing, he kept getting to his spot: a fingertip roll here, a clean pull-up three there, and seemingly countless contested middies. Houston closed the third on a 13-4 run and carried an 80-78 lead into the fourth.
Then came the push.
Reed Sheppard, fearless again, ignited the early fourth with a steal and a running layup. Alperen Şengün followed with back-to-back buckets during an 11-0 run that stretched the lead to eleven.
Houston’s defensive pressure told the story: 15 steals and 8 blocks on the night, 23 “stocks” to Charlotte’s 10. The Rockets were disruptive everywhere.
Charlotte made one last surge. Knueppel made history, burying a corner three, which marked his 185th of the season, a rookie record. The Hornets trimmed it to two inside 30 seconds. But this wasn’t a night for panic.
Durant did what Durant does and closed it with yet another pull-up middy and two free throws after being swarmed on the inbound. Calm.
He finished with 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, adding eight defensive rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and a steal. Several of those buckets were contested midrange daggers that felt inevitable.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 on 6-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds. Sheppard poured in 13 with two blocks and a team-high +11, while Jae’Sean Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith brought critical bench minutes. Houston also doubled Charlotte in fastbreak points, 16-8.
Final: 105-101 Rockets.
This one came down to physicality, and cool, calm, and collected finishing.