The Houston Rockets earned their second straight victory on Wednesday night, defeating the Toronto Raptors 139-121 at Scotiabank Arena behind another efficient outing from Kevin Durant.
Durant scored a team-high 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, as Houston improved to 2-2 on the season. The veteran forward added five rebounds and maintained his rhythm throughout, helping the Rockets take control midway through the second quarter and never look back.
Jabari Smith Jr. had his best performance of the young season with 25 points and five rebounds, while Alperen Sengun flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, nine assists, and eight boards. Houston’s offense flowed smoothly, producing 31 assists on 50 made field goals and shooting 57.5% overall.
The Rockets dominated the rebounding battle 53-22, converting second-chance opportunities and limiting Toronto to one-and-done possessions. Seven Houston players collected at least five rebounds, with Steven Adams contributing 12 points and 12 boards in 20 minutes off the bench.
Amen Thompson continued his steady play with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Tari Eason added 14 off the bench. Houston’s bench unit outscored Toronto’s 42-23, providing consistent energy on both ends.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 31 points and five rebounds, and Brandon Ingram added 29 on 11-of-16 shooting. Despite making a season-high 21 of 40 from beyond the arc, Toronto struggled defensively and could not overcome Houston’s dominance in the paint.
Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, starting in place of the injured Jakob Poeltl, scored 13 points in 25 minutes. Immanuel Quickley added 15 points and seven assists, while RJ Barrett and Sandro Mamukelashvili chipped in 10 each.
Houston ended the first half on an 11-0 run and opened the third quarter with a 14-4 spurt, building an 84-67 lead. The Rockets maintained a double-digit margin the rest of the way, keeping Toronto’s comeback attempts at bay.
The defeat marked Toronto’s fourth straight loss, all by double digits and all against Texas teams after setbacks against Dallas and San Antonio earlier in the week.
Houston will continue its road trip on Saturday against the Boston Celtics, while the Raptors look to regroup when they visit Cleveland on Friday.
