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02/19 20:40 CST Durant scores 35 points as Rockets hold on to beat Hornets
105-101
Durant scores 35 points as Rockets hold on to beat Hornets 105-101
By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --- Kevin Durant made two free throws with 3.2 seconds
left for the last of his 35 points, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the
Charlotte Hornets 105-101 on Thursday night.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun each had
13 for Houston. The Rockets overcame an 11-point first-half deficit.
Grant Williams led the Hornets with 20 points. Brandon Miller scored 17 points,
but was 1 of 12 from 3-point range.
LaMelo Ball, playing a day after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown
Charlotte, had 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
The Hornets, who had won 11 of 12 going into the All-Star break with the only
loss coming to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, looked sharp early and
bolted to an 11-point lead early in the second quarter.
But the Rockets would start to pull away in the fourth quarter with Sengun
making a spinning reverse layup against rookie 7-foot- center Ryan Kalkbrenner
and baby hook shot on back-to-back possessions to Houston its biggest lead at
95-84 with five minutes left.
Charlotte's Kon Knueppel, who came into the game second in the league in
3-pointers, would make two 3s down the stretch but Durant was too much.
He hit four mid-range jumpers and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter
including one to beat the shot clock with 44 seconds left when he drove the
left side of the lane and elevated above traffic.
After Knueppel's third 3 cut it to 103-101 with six seconds left, the Hornets
were forced to foul and Durant made both free throws to put the game away.
Up next
Rockets: At New York on Saturday night.
Hornets: Host Cleveland on Friday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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