Kevin Durant delivered 32 points as the Houston Rockets ended the Detroit Pistons’ four-game winning streak with a 111-104 road win on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena.
The veteran forward added seven rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes, finishing the game without a turnover while controlling the tempo during key stretches.
Houston leaned on a balanced attack behind its star scorer, with Alperen Sengun contributing 19 points and Reed Sheppard adding 18 off the bench.
Amen Thompson filled the box score with 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists as the Rockets won for the fourth time in their last five games.
The Pistons, who entered the night with the league’s best record, struggled to generate consistent offense beyond Jalen Duren.
Detroit’s center led his team with 18 points and seven rebounds, but the other four starters combined for 37 points on 13-of-35 shooting.
The game turned decisively after halftime when Houston dominated the third quarter.
The Rockets outscored Detroit 34-20 in the period, transforming a 52-52 tie into an 86-72 advantage heading into the fourth.
Durant and Sheppard fueled the surge by combining for 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting during the quarter.
Houston shot 68.4 percent in the third while holding the Pistons to 36.4 percent, limiting Cade Cunningham and Duncan Robinson to just two shot attempts over the first eight minutes.
Detroit made one final push early in the fourth after a rare four-point sequence cut the deficit to seven.
Ron Holland II converted two free throws following a flagrant foul, and Duren finished a lob from Cunningham to pull the Pistons within 87-80.
Isaiah Stewart’s three-point play later made it 87-83, but the hosts could not close the gap further.
Josh Okogie’s corner three restored momentum for Houston, and Sheppard’s layup with 2:04 remaining pushed the lead back to double digits.
Durant scored 18 points in the first half as well, helping offset Detroit’s 36-24 edge in points in the paint before the break.
The Rockets finished the night shooting 49 percent from the field and converting 24 of 30 free throws, key factors in closing out the road win.
Houston improved to 27-16, maintaining fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Detroit fell to 32-11 but remains atop the Eastern Conference despite the setback.
Up next, the Rockets host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, while the Pistons welcome the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon.
