Rockets Beat Hawks 121-114 for First 3-0 Start Since 2017-18
Kevin Durant scored 22 points and seven Rockets reached double figures as Houston held off a late Atlanta rally on Saturday night for a 121-114 win and the franchise's first 3-0 start since 2017-18.
The Houston Rockets are 3-0 for the first time since 2017-18. Kevin Durant led seven Rockets in double figures with 22 points on Saturday night as Houston beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-114 at State Farm Arena, spoiling Atlanta's home opener and extending Houston's winning streak over the Hawks to five games.
Houston built the win in layers. The Rockets led 30-26 after one quarter, 59-48 at halftime, and by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter at 108-88. Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard scored 19 points apiece — Sheppard started in place of Fred VanVleet, who sat for right knee load management, and hit five three-pointers — while Alperen Sengun finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Amen Thompson added 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Atlanta, which had averaged 130 points in winning its first two games, was held to a season low. Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 26 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists, but Atlanta shot just 13 of 48 from three-point range (27.1 percent) against Houston's 14 of 35 (40 percent). A 9-0 late run cut Houston's lead to five with 37 seconds left before Durant sealed it with two free throws with 19 seconds remaining.
The home-and-home set finishes quickly: the same two teams meet again Monday night in Houston, where the Rockets will try to run the start to 4-0.
