Durant Delivers Late Dagger as Rockets Edge Suns 100 to 97 in Statement Win

Houston — Kevin Durant provided the defining moment Monday night, scoring 26 points and drilling a go ahead three with 1.1 seconds remaining as the Houston Rockets secured a 100 to 97 win over the Phoenix Suns in a tightly contested matchup.

The game was tied in the closing seconds when Durant stepped into a 27 foot attempt from the wing and converted, giving Houston the lead against his former team. Phoenix had one final opportunity, but Devin Booker’s three point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired.

Moments earlier, the Suns appeared poised to take control after Booker missed a three, reclaimed the rebound, and watched the shot clock expire. Houston regained possession with 5.1 seconds left, setting up Durant’s decisive shot in a finish that underscored his impact since joining the Rockets in a blockbuster offseason trade.

Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 17 points for Houston, which won for the fifth time in six games. The Rockets overcame a late scoring drought that lasted nearly 4.5 minutes, tying the game on a three point play by Thompson in the final 2 minutes before Durant closed it.

Booker led Phoenix with 27 points, while Dillon Brooks added 15 in his return to Houston. The Suns erased a seven point deficit in the final five minutes with a 10 to 0 run, including eight straight points from Booker, to take a 97 to 94 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining before Houston responded.

The Rockets played without center Alperen Sengun, who is expected to miss 10 to 14 days with a right ankle sprain suffered Saturday. His absence places added pressure on Houston’s frontcourt rotation during an important stretch of the schedule.

The game was briefly interrupted in the second quarter due to a malfunction of the arena clocks and scoreboard. Play continued with time announced manually until systems were restored late in the first half.

The victory adds momentum to Houston’s recent surge and reinforces Durant’s role as the primary closer in late game situations. Phoenix saw its two game winning streak end and will look to tighten execution in closing moments moving forward.

The Suns travel to Memphis on Wednesday, while the Rockets begin a short road swing with consecutive games at Portland on Wednesday and Friday.