NBA: Kevin Durant scores 29 as Rockets hold off 76ers

HOUSTON — Kevin Durant scored a game-high 29 points and buried a crucial late 3-pointer as the host Houston Rockets held off a late surge from the Philadelphia 76ers, 113-102, on Thursday.

Houston extended its winning streak to eight games but was forced to withstand a tense finish after nearly squandering a 28-point third-quarter lead. Philadelphia (43-37) cut the deficit to 107-102 when rookie VJ Edgecombe followed a pair of missed free throws by Durant with a short jumper with 1:36 remaining.

Durant responded immediately, drilling a three-pointer on the next possession to seal the victory for Houston (51-29).

Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson added 19 points each for the Rockets, while Tari Eason contributed 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Alperen Sengun and Josh Okogie combined for 22 rebounds as Houston controlled the glass for much of the night.

The 76ers played without star center Joel Embiid, who underwent an emergency appendectomy earlier in the day. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 23 points, while Edgecombe finished with 21 points, six rebounds and a game-high eight assists. Andre Drummond grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds. The 76ers have now lost three straight and four of their last six games.

Eason helped push Houston’s biggest cushion of the night when he knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:44 remaining in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 96-68. However, Philadelphia mounted a strong comeback in the fourth, led by reserve Quentin Grimes, who scored 20 points as the 76ers opened the period with a 16-0 run. During that stretch, Houston went scoreless for more than five minutes.

Earlier, Houston used a 13-3 run in the first quarter, capped by a Thompson dunk, to build an early double-digit advantage. Philadelphia committed multiple turnovers during that span, finishing with six giveaways in the opening period that led to 12 Rockets points.

The Rockets carried a 35-26 lead into the second quarter and continued to stretch the margin. Reed Sheppard hit two three-pointers around a Durant field goal to push Houston ahead 65-47 with 3:47 left in the half. The Rockets eventually built a 23-point cushion before Maxey sparked a late Philadelphia push.

Maxey, who was scoreless in the first quarter, erupted for 15 points in the second, including the final eight points for Philadelphia before halftime. His back-to-back three-pointers helped trim the deficit to 73-56 at the break.

Despite the late rally, Houston’s early dominance and Durant’s late-game heroics proved decisive as the Rockets closed out another win in strong fashion. -Field Level Media/Reuters