‘Playing hard, playing together’: Rockets rout Knicks, win third straight
· Yahoo Sports
HOUSTON -- In one of their best performances in weeks, the Rockets opened a three-game homestand at Toyota Center with Tuesday’s impressive 111-94 victory (box score) over the Knicks.
Houston (46-29) finished March with three straight wins, overall, and its latest came in a nationally televised, NBA on NBC showcase.
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New York (48-28) remains at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference standings, while Houston moved into a tie for No. 5 in the West. The Rockets are now 26-10 at home this season.
Individually, the big standout was “efficiency man” Kevin Durant.
The perennial All-Star poured in a game-high 27 points on elite efficiency, shooting 10-of-18 overall (55.6%) and 4-of-7 from 3-point range (57.1%). He also had 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and the Rockets went +28 as a team in Durant’s 35 minutes on the court.
Other statistics of note included:
- Tari Eason: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 0 turnovers; 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%), 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
- Amen Thompson: 17 points, 8 assists, 1 turnover; 8-of-14 shooting (57.1%)
- Alperen Sengun: 13 points, 10 assists; 4-of-5 shooting (80.0%), 4-of-6 on free throws (66.7%)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 15 points, 6 rebounds; 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
- Reed Sheppard: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals; 8-of-12 shooting (66.7%), 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%)
On an extremely efficient night, the Rockets shot 42-of-78 overall (53.8%) and 15-of-35 from 3-point range (42.9%), and they committed only eight turnovers.
“We’re winning, playing together, and playing hard,” Eason said postgame.
But Houston was impressive on defense, as well, and the Rockets remain unbeaten this season when holding opponents below 100 points.
Thompson was especially dynamic, as he helped limit Knicks star Jalen Brunson to 12 points, 8 assists, and 3 turnovers on 5-of-14 shooting (35.7%) and 1-of-5 from 3-point range (20.0%).
Next up for Houston, as the homestand reaches its midpoint, is Wednesday’s matchup versus Milwaukee (29-45). Tipoff of Rockets-Bucks, which will be night two of a back-to-back for both teams, is at 7:00 p.m. Central.
The game will be televised and streamed regionally on Space City Home Network and nationally via NBA League Pass.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Playing hard, playing together’: Rockets rout Knicks, win third straight