Durant leads Rockets past Nets for fourth straight victory
- - Durant leads Rockets past Nets for fourth straight victory
The January 2, 2026 at 1:25 AM
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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dunks against Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) ()
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant had 22 points and a season-high 11 assists, Amen Thompson scored 23 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.
Alperen Sengun had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists after a two-game absence for the Rockets, who started fast in both halves to win in Brooklyn for the first time in seven years. Tari Eason finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard each scored 14 points.
Sengun was 8 for 12 from the floor after sitting out two games with a left calf injury.
Cam Thomas scored 21 points for the Nets, who dropped their second straight after winning three in a row for the only time this season. Ziaire Williams added 14.
HEAT 118, PISTONS 112
DETROIT (AP) — Norman Powell scored 36 points and Bam Abdebayo added 15 points and 14 rebounds as Miami extended their winning streak to four games with a win over Detroit.
Cade Cunningham had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Detroit and Marcus Sasser scored 18.
Detroit trailed by 22 in the second half and was still down 114-103 with two minutes left, but scored six straight points to make it a five-point game. Powell missed and Javonte Green hit a 3-pointer to get the Pistons within two with 46.4 seconds to play.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. hit a short jumper to make it a two-possession game, though, and Ausar Thompson’s turnover forced the Pistons to start fouling. Powell hit a pair of free throws — his first points of the fourth quarter — to clinch it.
Jaquez scored 19 points for the Heat and Andrew Wiggins added 17.
76ERS 123, MAVERICKS 108
DALLAS (AP) — Tyrese Maxey had 34 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Joel Embiid scored 22 points and Philadelphia beat Dallas.
Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, the one-and-done player from Baylor playing 100 miles from his college campus for the first time, scored 23 points two nights after hitting a 3-pointer in the final seconds of a 139-136 overtime victory at Memphis.
Oft-injured Anthony Davis returned for Dallas after missing two games with a sore adductor muscle. The 10-time All-Star finished with 13 points and eight rebounds as the Mavs matched their season worst with a fourth consecutive loss.
Rookie No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg scored 12 points for the Mavericks, who were led by Max Christie’s 18 points.
CELTICS 120, KINGS 106
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Boston pulled away down the stretch to beat the Sacramento.
Brown shot 11 of 25, including 1 for 9 from 3-point distance, but made six free throws and added four assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The four-time All-Star has been on a scoring tear lately, pouring in 20 or more points in 12 of his last 15 games.
Payton Pritchard had 16 points and six assists as Boston improved to 3-1 on its five-game trip. Sam Hauser hit five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points. Anfernee Simons also scored 15.
DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 25 points. Dennis Schroder scored 18 and Keon Ellis added 16. The Kings (8-26) have lost four of five and nine of 11.
CLIPPERS 118, JAZZ 101
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points, James Harden added 20 and Los Angeles recovered from blowing a 21-point lead to beat Utah, extending their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Leonard was the only Clippers starter on the floor for much of the fourth quarter. He singlehandedly matched Utah’s points in the period (20), with blood on his nose from what appeared to be a scratch.
Los Angeles hit seven straight 3-pointers, with Leonard making four, to pull away. Nicolas Batum finished with 14 points and went 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
The Jazz rallied despite being without three starters. They were led by reserve Kyle Anderson with 22 points — his first 20-point game in nearly three years — and Brice Sensabaugh with 20. Anderson’s eight rebounds were a season high. Cody Williams also had 18 points, while Isaiah Collier had 16 points and 10 assists.
Source: “AOL Sports”
