Kevin Durant leads Houston to victory over Atlanta with 31 points

The Houston Rockets delivered an impressive second-half performance to dominate the Atlanta Hawks, 104-86, on Thursday night. Kevin Durant led the charge with 31 points, allowing his team to end the Hawks’ impressive four-game winning streak.

The game was decided after halftime, as Houston led by just one point at the break (43-42). The Rockets then stepped up their game to completely dominate the second half and take control of the match.

Kevin DURANT

31

PTS

5

REB

4

AST

ATL

86104

HOU

A one-sided second half for Houston

Jabari Smith provided valuable support to Durant with 14 points, while Reed Sheppard added 13 units. It was Sheppard’s 3-pointer that gave the Rockets their first 20-point lead in the game (90-70), perfectly illustrating the Texas team’s dominance.

Houston outscored Atlanta 35-24 in the third quarter before continuing to extend the lead in the final period. Alperen Sengun, questionable before the game due to a right ankle sprain, still contributed with 9 points and 13 rebounds.

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On the Atlanta side, CJ McCollum finished as the leading scorer with 23 points, followed by Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20 points) and Corey Kispert (17 points). Despite these respectable individual performances, the Hawks could not compensate for the absence of several key players.

Atlanta without several starters

The Hawks had to play without two major starters from their frontcourt. Center Onyeka Okongwu suffered a dental fracture after taking an elbow during the 117-106 victory over Boston on Wednesday night. Forward Jalen Johnson was sidelined due to a left calf strain.

Atlanta confirmed that Okongwu had successfully undergone dental surgery on Thursday and would also miss Saturday’s game at Indiana. The team was already without center Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles tendinitis) and Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone bruise).

The evening also marked Clint Capela’s return to Atlanta, who scored 10 points during his reunion with his former team since his trade to Houston on July 6, 2025. The center saluted fans with both hands after being honored with a tribute video during a first-quarter timeout.