The Houston Rockets opened the new year with a dominant road performance, rolling past the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 on Thursday night at Barclays Center. The win pushed Houston to 21-10 and marked its fourth straight win.
The Rockets immediately set the tone, making their first seven shots and jumping out to a 16-5 lead. Brooklyn never recovered as Houston controlled the pace and never trailed in its first win over the Nets since November 2018.
Kevin Durant led Houston with 22 points and a season-high 11 assists, directing the offense with precision. Amen Thompson added 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, consistently attacking gaps in transition and the half court.
Alperen Sengun returned after missing two games with a left calf injury and delivered 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. The center went 8-for-12 from the floor and anchored the interior despite Houston being without Steven Adams and Clint Capela.
Tari Eason contributed 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard each scored 14 points. Houston shot 57 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, continually stretching Brooklyn’s defense.
The decisive play came early in the second half, when the Rockets made their first five three-pointers. Smith and Eason each knocked down two triples, and Thompson added another during a 19-5 run that pushed the lead to 74-49.
Brooklyn entered the night coming off a solid December, but struggled offensively without several key contributors. Cam Thomas scored 21 points and Ziaire Williams added 14, but the Nets shot just 45 percent overall and 33 percent from deep.
The Nets were without leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. due to illness, along with injured guards Egor Demin and Terance Mann. Short-handed, Brooklyn couldn’t score consistently in either half or slow Houston’s early momentum.
Houston also controlled the glass with a 45-27 rebound advantage and finished with 28 assists. The Rockets led by double digits for most of the evening and cleared the bench in the closing minutes.
The Rockets will look to extend their streak Saturday in Dallas, while the Nets head to Washington on Friday looking for answers after back-to-back losses.
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