Kevin Durant emphasized the Rockets’ ball movement and transition opportunities as key to pulling away in Wednesday’s 121-95 win over Sacramento.
“We moved the basketball better…we got a lot of easy buckets in transition,” Durant said, pointing to Houston’s third-quarter surge.
Durant praised Steven Adams’ impact, noting his two-way contributions: “He’s a big force body in the paint…in 18 minutes, 11 and eight, five offensive rebounds, two blocks—that’s setting your tone right there.”
Amen Thompson’s energy also stood out, with Durant calling him “a huge responsibility…when he can push the transition, grab a rebound, catch a lob, block a shot, it adds to our group and everyone feeds off of it.”
The Rockets dominated the paint, scoring 78 points inside while attempting just four second-half three-pointers. Durant explained, “We’d rather get efficient paint shots…if the paint is open, why chuck threes?”
Durant highlighted Josh Okogie’s role as a versatile contributor: “He hangs his hat on guarding, making plays on offensive rebounds, getting his hands on basketballs…you can insert him into the starting lineup or bring him off the bench and he’s the same player.”
Alperen Sengun scored 28 points with 10 rebounds, reaching his career 5,000th point milestone, and Durant noted the Rockets’ intentional play in the half court: “A lot of those threes come from touching the paint first…good defensive teams swarm you in the paint, make you kick out for threes.”
Durant reflected on team execution, praising Houston’s balance of fast-break scoring and interior offense. “Even if it’s not a turnover, we still want to get the ball up the floor and try to get easy baskets…30 fast break points, that’s the name of the game,” he said.
Durant is also approaching a personal milestone of 31,000 career points and acknowledged the role of teammates in his success: “I’m always grateful for all my coaches, teammates…every time I hit milestones, I think about my teammates and the journey I’ve been through.”
The Rockets improved to 14-5, bouncing back from a loss to Utah, while Sacramento fell to 5-17, struggling with 17 turnovers and 29% perimeter shooting. Houston now prepares to host Phoenix on Friday, looking to build on its dominant paint and transition performance.
