The Houston Rockets brought the Atlanta Hawks’ impressive 11-game winning streak to a halt with a dominant 117-95 victory on Friday night, led by Kevin Durant’s 25-point performance in just three quarters of action.
Durant shot an efficient 9 of 15 from the field while also contributing six assists to help Houston overwhelm the visiting Hawks. Jabari Smith Jr. provided strong support with 23 points and nine rebounds as the Rockets controlled the game from start to finish.
The turning point came during the third quarter when Houston unleashed a barrage from three-point range, connecting on 6 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. This hot shooting transformed an eight-point halftime advantage into a commanding 101-76 lead, capped off by back-to-back three-pointers from Durant and Reed Sheppard late in the period.
Sheppard, who earned a starting role in place of struggling Tari Eason, contributed 14 points and knocked down four three-pointers. Despite coming off the bench, Eason still managed to record a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Atlanta’s offense was led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 21 points, while CJ McCollum chipped in 17 points. Bench player Zaccharie Risacher added 16 points before fouling out in the final quarter. The Rockets built their lead to as large as 34 points before both teams cleared their benches.
Pistons 115, Warriors 101
Detroit continued their surprising success without injured All-Star Cade Cunningham, who has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung, as they dominated Golden State at home. Jalen Duren powered the Pistons with 23 points and six rebounds in the convincing victory.
Daniss Jenkins stepped up admirably in Cunningham’s absence, recording 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the starter. Six different Pistons players reached double figures in scoring, while Ausar Thompson anchored the defense with seven steals.
The struggling Warriors, who have now lost seven of their last eight contests, were paced by Brandin Podziemski’s 15 points. Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton each contributed 14 points, and Gui Santos added 13. Stephen Curry remained sidelined with a knee injury.
Knicks 93, Nets 92
Jalen Brunson delivered clutch baskets in the final moments to help New York escape with a narrow victory over Brooklyn despite some late-game struggles. Brunson finished with 17 points while Towns dominated with 26 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Knicks.
OG Anunoby contributed 16 points as New York managed to overcome a season-high 22 turnovers and poor shooting that saw them connect on just 40.8% of their field goal attempts, including a dismal 8-for-29 from three-point territory.
Brooklyn received strong bench production from Josh Minott’s 22 points and 17 from Ziaire Williams, but the Nets extended their losing streak to six games and have now dropped 16 of their last 18 contests.
Celtics 117, Grizzlies 112
Jaylen Brown’s 30-point effort led Boston to their fourth consecutive victory over host Memphis. Luke Garza provided crucial support with a season-best 22 points, including 11 in the decisive fourth quarter, while Payton Pritchard added 19 points.
Derrick White scored 14 points for the Celtics, and despite struggling with his shot at 3-of-15, Jayson Tatum managed 13 points and nine rebounds. Neemias Queta recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Memphis received a career-high 23 points from rookie Tyler Burton off the bench, but the Grizzlies suffered their ninth defeat in the past 10 games.
Trail Blazers 108, Timberwolves 104
Jerami Grant’s efficient 26-point performance on 10-of-16 shooting helped Portland secure a road victory over Minnesota. Deni Avdija added 25 points and eight rebounds as the Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to three games.
Donovan Clingan recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for Portland. Minnesota was led by Julius Randle’s 19 points, while Rudy Gobert posted 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmu contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Timberwolves fell short of completing a season sweep of Portland, with All-Star Anthony Edwards missing his third straight game due to a knee injury.
Nuggets 121, Raptors 115
Jamal Murray erupted for 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to lead Denver’s comeback victory over Toronto. Nikola Jokic nearly recorded a triple-double with 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Nuggets rallied at home.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was red-hot from three-point range, connecting on 7-of-10 attempts to finish with 23 points, while Aaron Gordon added 16 points. The victory moved Denver into fifth place in the Western Conference and extended their winning streak against Toronto to six games.
Toronto’s three-game winning streak came to an end despite strong performances from Jakob Poeltl (23 points, 11 rebounds), Brandon Ingram (19 points), and RJ Barrett (18 points). Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley each contributed 15 points as the Raptors remained in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
