Kevin Durant scored a game-high 30 points, Alperen Sengun flirted with a triple-double and the Houston Rockets cruised to a 140-116 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA Cup play on Friday.
Durant scored 16 first-quarter points to ignite the Rockets before Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. helped shoulder the offensive load in reply to repeated rallies from the Trail Blazers. Sengun posted 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Smith tallied 22 points and, like Sengun, hit four 3-pointers.
Deni Avdija scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter to help Portland shave a 23-point deficit to 101-91 with a three-point play at the 1:23 mark of the period.
However, Houston scored the first seven points of the fourth, and when Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday drilled consecutive 3-pointers, the Rockets led 118-93 with 8:29 left to play. Sheppard scored 13 points off the bench for Houston, which has won three in a row and eight of the past nine.
Shaedon Sharpe paired 19 points with eight rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who took their third loss in four games. Toumani Camara added 16 points while Avdija grabbed 10 rebounds. Portland committed 20 turnovers that Houston converted into 30 points.
Portland led by as many as nine points in the opening period, keyed by Camara and Sharpe, who combined for 16 of the Trail Blazers’ first 24 points. However, a Durant three-point play pulled the Rockets even at 24-24, part of a 17-2 run that lifted Houston to a 35-26 lead.
Jrue Holiday nailed a 3-pointer as part of a 13-3 Portland run to open the second quarter. The Trail Blazers reclaimed a 45-44 lead, but the Rockets seized control down the stretch of the first half with a 7-1 blitz that resulted in a 69-60 halftime advantage. Houston, which shot 61.5% in the first quarter, bridged the halves with an extended 21-5 run capped by a Josh Okogie dunk.
The Rockets led by as many as 30 points in the fourth quarter. Amen Thompson chipped in 19 points for the Rockets while Steven Adams grabbed 11 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Holiday and Jerami Grant scored 13 points apiece for the Trail Blazers.
Both teams now have a 1-1 record in West Group C of the NBA Cup.
