Kevin Durant had little to say about the on-court altercation between Mason Plumlee and Steven Adams during the Phoenix Suns’ 111-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
“My opinion on that does not matter,” Durant said when asked about the fight. When pressed on whether the scuffle influenced the game, he responded, “None at all. I don’t believe it made any impact on the game at all.”
The incident occurred before halftime when Adams wrestled Plumlee to the floor, leading to double technicals and automatic ejections. Despite the heated moment, Durant emphasized that it did not affect the outcome.
Houston, now 41-25 and fifth in the Western Conference, took control in the second half behind Jalen Green’s 29 points. Alperen Sengun added 20 points, while Dillon Brooks chipped in 19 to extend the Rockets’ winning streak to four games.
Fred VanVleet, playing for the first time in 16 games, contributed 10 points in 28 minutes, helping Houston maintain its momentum in the playoff race.
Phoenix, which dropped to 30-36 and fell further behind in the battle for a play-in spot, struggled offensively. Bradley Beal led the Suns with 25 points, while Durant and Devin Booker each finished with 19.
The Suns had connected on 20 three-pointers in their previous game but managed only 10 against Houston, contributing to their offensive struggles.
Durant pointed to Phoenix’s late shot-clock possessions and turnovers as key factors in the loss. “Pretty much got whatever they want on offensive side,” he said about Houston’s attack. “We played late into the clock on offensive line which may cause little turnovers, tough shots, which causes run outs. When play earlier in the clock, we got better offense.”
Houston’s decisive fourth-quarter run, capped by a Jock Landale three-point play and a Brooks bucket off a Booker turnover, helped the Rockets build a 15-point lead.
Phoenix made a late push, trimming the deficit to eight after Beal’s free throws, but Houston held firm down the stretch.
With the loss, the Suns have now dropped three of their last four games, putting further pressure on them to turn things around before the season’s final stretch.
