Alperen Sengun Powers Rockets Past Pacers 118 to 114 in Road Win Without Kevin Durant

INDIANAPOLIS -- Alperen Sengun delivered a dominant all around performance as the Houston Rockets overcame injuries and late pressure to defeat the Indiana Pacers 118 to 114 on Monday night, marking a key road victory in the latest NBA results and playoff positioning update.

Sengun matched his season high with 39 points and added 16 rebounds while shouldering the offensive load in the absence of All Star forward Kevin Durant. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka confirmed Durant sat out after spraining his left ankle when he stepped on a fan’s foot during the previous game. Houston was also without center Steven Adams, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season following surgery on his injured left ankle, increasing the importance of Sengun’s interior presence.

The Rockets center was efficient and composed under pressure, shooting 13 of 25 from the field and 13 of 18 from the free throw line. Eight of those free throws came in the fourth quarter, where Sengun repeatedly sealed the game by converting through contact. Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 19 points, while Houston leaned on defensive rebounding and disciplined half court execution to secure its third straight win and fifth victory in six games. The Rockets have now won three consecutive road games, an encouraging trend as the season enters a critical stretch.

Indiana was led by Pascal Siakam, who scored 27 points, while Bennedict Mathurin added 25 as the Pacers nearly erased the deficit late. Indiana rallied from 12 points down in the third quarter and briefly took the lead after a Jarace Walker fast break assist to Siakam with 2 minutes and 27 seconds remaining in the period. However, the Pacers were unable to sustain momentum and fell short of extending their winning streak to three games.

The opening half reflected Houston’s depleted rotation, as Indiana controlled tempo and spacing before the Rockets responded with a 17 to 4 run late in the second quarter. Replay review overturned what appeared to be a buzzer beating three pointer from Siakam, sending Indiana into halftime trailing 63 to 56. Houston then pushed the margin to 75 to 63 early in the third quarter before Indiana responded with a nine point run to reenter the game.

What ultimately decided the outcome was Sengun’s poise late. His free throws fueled a decisive 12 to 2 Houston run that stretched the lead to 109 to 101 with just under five minutes remaining. Despite Indiana’s attempts to speed up the game, Houston maintained control through Sengun’s post touches and deliberate offensive possessions.

The impact of the result reinforces Houston’s resilience amid injuries and highlights Sengun’s continued development as a franchise cornerstone capable of anchoring an offense. For Indiana, the loss underscores lingering issues in late game execution against physical interior scorers, an area that remains a focus as the standings tighten.

Next steps come quickly for both teams. Houston returns home to host Boston on Wednesday night in a high profile matchup that will test its recent form.

Indiana remains at home to face Utah on Tuesday night as it looks to rebound and regain momentum.