Durant Scores 30 as Rockets Defeat Pacers 126–119.

HOUSTON — Kevin Durant poured in 30 points Monday night to lift the Houston Rockets to a 126–119 victory over the Indiana Pacers. The performance marked Durant’s second consecutive 30-point outing and his 10th of the season. It was also his first such game in Houston since arriving via a major offseason trade from Phoenix. Jabari Smith Jr. contributed 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Amen Thompson finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. The win was Houston’s third straight after the team struggled through a difficult road stretch. Indiana’s losing streak reached nine games, leaving the Pacers with the league’s worst record at 6–27. The team has been without Tyrese Haliburton all season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Houston entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 27-point advantage and still led by 16 when head coach Ime Udoka emptied the bench with under three minutes remaining. Pascal Siakam paced Indiana with 23 points, and Aaron Nesmith added 14, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc.

The Rockets held a 16-point lead at halftime and quickly extended it after intermission, opening the third quarter on a 12–3 run to go ahead 78–51. Smith hit two three-pointers during the surge, while Durant added four points. Indiana responded with a 14–2 run later in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 15. Siakam scored six points in that span, with Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard hitting three-pointers to spark the rally.

Houston answered with a strong close to the quarter, outscoring the Pacers 16–4. Three-pointers from Reed Sheppard and Dorian Finney-Smith helped the Rockets take a 105–78 lead into the final period. Steven Adams recorded eight points and five rebounds in his second straight start in place of Alperen Sengun, who sat out with calf tightness. Adams exited in the third quarter after spraining his right ankle and did not return.

Indiana will host Orlando on Wednesday, while Houston travels to Brooklyn for a matchup Thursday night.