NBA: Kevin Durant hits 31K career points in Rockets' win

Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant combined for 59 points to power the Houston Rockets to a 117-98 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Friday. Durant scored 17 of his 28 points in the second quarter to shift the momentum, becoming the eighth player in NBA history to surpass 31,000 career points. He also tallied eight assists. Thompson delivered a season-high 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting as Houston shot 59.2% from the field despite missing Alperen Sengun due to illness.

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 23 points, while Jamaree Bouyea added a career-high 18. Phoenix struggled from deep, hitting just 5 of 36 3-point attempts (13.9%) while playing without leading scorer Devin Booker, who sat out with a groin injury.

Thunder 132, Mavericks 111

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 33 points in three quarters to lift Oklahoma City to a home win over Dallas. The Thunder extended their winning streak to 14 games and improved to 22-1 on the season. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 10-for-12 and added six assists and five rebounds, including 16 points in the third quarter as OKC pulled away. Dallas had its three-game win streak snapped. Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 23 points off the bench.

Nuggets 134, Hawks 133

Nikola Jokic delivered 40 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Denver rallied past host Atlanta. Jamal Murray added 23 points and 12 assists as the Nuggets overcame a 23-point deficit to secure their ninth straight road win. Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson recorded a rare first-half triple-double — 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists — finishing with 21, 18 and 16. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 30 points for the Hawks, but his late 3-point attempt was blocked by Murray, sealing the Denver victory.

Celtics 126, Lakers 105

Jaylen Brown tallied 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Boston to its fourth straight win, beating the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers. Derrick White added 19 points, Jordan Walsh had 17 and Payton Pritchard chipped in 15. Walsh has made 18 of his last 19 field-goal attempts over three games. The Lakers were without Luka Doncic (personal), LeBron James (sciatica/foot) and Marcus Smart (lumbar). Austin Reaves scored 36 points, while Gabe Vincent added 18 for Los Angeles.

Cavaliers 130, Spurs 117

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and Jaylon Tyson added 24, including 16 in the second half, as Cleveland used a massive third-quarter run to top visiting San Antonio. Tyson posted 11 points during a 31-7 surge that gave the Cavs control at 98-81. Evan Mobley added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Devin Vassell finished with 28 points, while De’Aaron Fox had 25 and nine assists for the Spurs, who fell to 4-3 during their nine-city, 18-day trip.

Pistons 122, Trail Blazers 116

Cade Cunningham posted 29 points and nine assists to lead Detroit past Portland. Jalen Duren added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Ron Holland II scored 17 off the bench. Ausar Thompson contributed 15 points as the Pistons earned their third win in four games. Deni Avdija led Portland with 35 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jerami Grant added 29 and Shaedon Sharpe scored 28 in a foul-heavy game that featured 64 fouls and 83 free throws.

Knicks 146, Jazz 112

Jalen Brunson scored 33 points in three quarters as New York dominated Utah, opening the game with a historic 23-0 run — the Knicks’ longest game-opening streak since play-by-play tracking began in 1996-97. Miles McBride chipped in 22 points and went 7-for-10 from long range. Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George each scored 18 for the Jazz, who had their two-game win streak halted.

Magic 106, Heat 105

Franz Wagner scored 32 points to help Orlando withstand a late charge by Miami. The Heat cut a 10-point deficit to one in the final seconds, but Bam Adebayo’s contested 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark. Paolo Banchero returned from a groin strain, scoring nine points in 20 minutes. Miami was led by Norman Powell with 28 points and Adebayo with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Hornets 111, Raptors 86

Rookie Kon Knueppel scored 21 points and dished out seven assists to lead Charlotte past Toronto. Tidjane Salaun added a career-high 21 points, with 13 coming in the fourth quarter, while Miles Bridges finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Immanuel Quickley led the Raptors with 31 points, but Toronto has now dropped four of its last five.

Pacers 120, Bulls 105

Pascal Siakam powered Indiana with 36 points and 10 rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin scored 28 as the Pacers halted a two-game slide by defeating host Chicago. Andrew Nembhard (15 points), Jay Huff (11) and Ethan Thompson (11) also scored in double digits. Chicago was led by Coby White with 22 points and Matas Buzelis with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulls have lost 12 of their last 15 games.

76ers 116, Bucks 101

Quentin Grimes scored 22 points and Paul George added 20 to lift Philadelphia over Milwaukee. It was an uncharacteristically low-scoring performance for Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 12 points but still contributed to a balanced team effort as the bench scored 61 points. Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 22 points, while Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Grizzlies 107, Clippers 98

Rookie Cedric Coward posted 23 points and 14 rebounds, coming up big in the closing minutes as Memphis beat the visiting Los Angeles Clippers. Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer scored 17 each, while Jaren Jackson Jr. recovered from a slow start to finish with 13 points. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists. James Harden added 18 points and seven assists, but Los Angeles has now dropped nine of its last 11 games. -Field Level Media/Reuters Credit: Troy Taormina‑Imagn