Durant scores 22 as Rockets hold off Hawks 121-114

Kevin Durant scored 22 points and Houston led by as many as 20 in the third quarter as the Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 on Saturday, October 24.

Durant made three of his seven 3-pointers and all three free throws in 37 minutes, and the Rockets outscored Atlanta by 19 points with him on the floor. Reed Sheppard added 19 points with five 3-pointers.

The Rockets pulled away in the third quarter, scoring 33 points to lead 85-65 with 3:56 left in the period. Atlanta got no closer than five the rest of the way.

Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson both had double-doubles, Sengun with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Thompson with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Houston improved to 3-0, and the Hawks fell to 2-1 at home.

Atlanta led 7-0 early in the first quarter, but Houston won that period 30-26 and led the rest of the way. The Hawks scored 33 points in the fourth and cut it to 117-112 on two Onyeka Okongwu free throws with 36.5 seconds left.

Durant answered with two free throws, and Tari Eason's running dunk, set up by Jabari Smith Jr., made it 121-112. CJ McCollum made the last basket, a two-point shot with 2.0 seconds left.

Jalen Johnson had 26 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists for Atlanta but made 8 of 19 shots. Dyson Daniels shot 8-of-11 for 18 points. As a team, the Hawks made 13 of 48 3-pointers to Houston's 14 of 35.

Up next

Rockets: vs. the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, October 26.

Hawks: at the Houston Rockets on Monday, October 26.