The Houston Rockets survived a tight clash against the Charlotte Hornets, 105-101, on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant dropped 35 points, including two free throws with 3.2 seconds left, Jabari Smith Jr. added 15, Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun each had 13 for the Rockets, who also overcame an 11-point first-half deficit.
On the other hand, Grant Williams led the Hornets with 20 points, Brandon Miller added 17, and LaMelo Ball added 11 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds after playing a day after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte.
Charlotte started with an 11-point lead early in the second quarter, as they won 11 of 12 going into the All-Star break, with the only loss coming to the Pistons.
Despite the first-half burst, Houston answered to pull away in the fourth quarter with Sengun making a spinning reverse layup against rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner and a baby hook shot on back-to-back possessions to lead at 95-84 with five minutes left.
The Hornets’ Kon Knueppel came into the game second in the league in three-pointers to make two three-pointers down the stretch.
However, Durant hit four mid-range jumpers to score 10 points in the fourth, including one to beat the shot clock with 44 seconds left.
After Knueppel’s third 3, it was tied 103-103 with six seconds left, the Hornets were forced to foul, and Durant made both free throws to seal the win.
The Rockets will play in New York on Saturday, while the Hornets host the Cavaliers on Friday.
