Alperen Sengun scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kevin Durant had 20 points to lead the visiting Houston Rockets to a 114-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Aaron Holiday added 18 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 14 and Amen Thompson amassed 12 points, nine boards, six assists and five steals for the Rockets, whose only losses are against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.
Sengun also had seven assists in Houston’s fifth straight win. The Rockets built a 22-point lead in the third quarter before Cleveland pulled within one at 77-76 early in the fourth on a Donovan Mitchell 3-pointer.
Mitchell scored 21 points for Cleveland, but only two in the first three periods on 1-of-7 shooting. De’Andre Hunter led the hosts with 25 points, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and six rebounds.
Reed Sheppard and Smith each had eight points in the first quarter as Houston jumped in front 33-19. The Rockets’ lead swelled to 20 late in the second before they carried a 57-40 advantage into halftime, powered by 13 points from Durant.
Tempers flared throughout with Smith and Hunter being whistled for flagrant fouls and technicals, and Cleveland’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin being called for a technical midway through the second quarter.
Holiday went on an individual 6-0 run in 46 seconds to extend the Rockets’ lead to 103-92 with 3:51 left. That lead remained two scores the rest of the way, finishing off the Cavaliers’ last charge at trying to rally.
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (left great toe) and swingman Jaylon Tyson (concussion) have not returned to action since being injured Nov. 10 at Miami. Coach Kenny Atkinson said Tyson has entered a return-to-play protocol while Garland is also close to a return.
Smith Jr., who was questionable with right knee soreness, was one of four 6-foot-11 starters in the Rockets’ super-sized lineup along with Sengun, Durant and Steven Adams. Thompson, the point guard, rounded it out at 6-7.
