Kevin Durant spoke openly about Houston’s struggles after the Rockets fell 129-93 to the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on Wednesday. “They made shots, we missed them, but they made like five threes. We generated good looks. We didn’t knock them down,” Durant said, highlighting the impact of Denver’s shooting on the game.
Durant emphasized the team still created scoring chances despite the deficit. “We shot more threes than them majority of the game. They were trapping, double-teaming, just trying to get the ball out of my hands. We were getting layups. I feel like our offense was clicking outside of making wide open shots,” he explained.
The Rockets struggled to convert in the third quarter, falling behind 40-22. Durant noted, “They just capitalized off all our mistakes… a lot of back-room shots that fly high in the air and they get a rebound and kick out and go, guys leaking out.”
Durant also addressed how Denver’s defense forced Houston into mistakes. “They were just packing the paint basically playing us, daring us to shoot, and we didn’t knock them down. You got to give credit for knocking down shots and sticking to a scheme,” he said.
Despite defensive attention, Durant remained focused on making plays. “I just feel like I should sacrifice myself even more if they’re going to triple team me. Should get it out, be able to make plays. I should grab more rebounds so I can push,” he said, reflecting on his approach to distributing the ball.
He emphasized staying aggressive despite the challenge of multiple defenders. “I got to be more aggressive to just go get the ball, knowing teams are going to put two and sometimes three people on me and I can get my teammates better looks instead of having to work too hard for stuff,” Durant said.
Durant’s 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting marked his lowest field goal attempts of the season. He acknowledged the effect of transition opportunities on Denver’s dominance, adding, “They’re a good team in transition. This is a tough place for the second half of a back-to-back.”
The Rockets now turn their focus to hosting New Orleans on Friday.
