HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists in his 18th career triple-double to help the Phoenix Suns defeat the Houston Rockets 129-113 on Wednesday night to end the three-game losing streak .
Durant was 9 of 16 from the field and also had two steals and a block in Phoenix’s first road win since November 26. The Suns improved to 15-15.“It was great to be on the winning side again,” Durant said. “It sucks to lose. Going through a tough time in the NBA is one of the worst feelings you can have, no matter how many games we play in a season.Eric Gordon matched Durant with 27 points in his first game in Houston since joining in February. He scored 17 points in the Suns’ second quarter, giving them a 73-55 halftime lead. Devin Booker added 20 points and Grayson Allen had 16.“It was great to be back,” Gordon said. “I’ve had a lot of good memories and a lot of fun here and coming to Houston was a big turning point in my career and tonight we did what we were supposed to do.”Alperen Sengun led Houston with 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 with a season-high six 3-pointers. The Rockets are 15-14. “(Green) was aggressive,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Continuing his shots, looking at the basket more aggressively, going down and just taking the right reads. With his big (playing) back, he hit easy shots early on, and things went very quickly from there.Phoenix shot 76% in the second quarter to extend its lead to 20, and 12 was the most the Rockets would get in the second half. Durant scored or assisted on 10 of his 16 baskets.“Kevin just went into aggressive mode to score or pass,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “Receiving the ball in the backfield, running a lot of pick-and-rolls and just being aggressive. He really guided us on this path.Jabari Smith Jr. scored nine points for Houston before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle. A night earlier, the Rockets lost Dillon Brooks to an oblique strain, forcing him to miss a game for the first time this season.
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