Rockets’ late-game bite

Houston spent three quarters building a 23-point cushion, then watched Philadelphia rip off a 16-0 run that cut the lead to 101-94 with about five minutes left. Kevin Durant stopped the slide with a corner 3, and Aaron Holiday followed with another 3 on the next trip to push the Rockets back in control. (nba.com, espn.com) That sequence was the whole night in miniature: Houston looked comfortable early, then needed a closer when the game got messy late. Durant finished with 29 points on 10-for-18 shooting, plus 7 rebounds and 5 assists. (espn.com, apnews.com) The Rockets did most of their damage before the fourth quarter even started. They led 35-26 after one quarter, 73-56 at halftime, and 96-73 after three, which meant Philadelphia needed a near-perfect finish just to make it tense. (espn.com, nba.com) Houston’s scoring was not just Durant. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 19 points, Amen Thompson added 19 more, Tari Eason had 15 off the bench, and Alperen Sengun pulled down 12 rebounds even on a 4-for-14 shooting night. (espn.com) Amen Thompson’s line looked like a player covering half the floor by himself: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in 42 minutes. Houston also finished with 12 steals as a team, which helped turn a game with ordinary 3-point shooting into a double-digit win. (espn.com) Philadelphia kept hanging around because Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe kept creating shots. Maxey scored 23 points, Edgecombe had 21 points and 8 assists, and the Sixers won the fourth quarter 29-17 after trailing by 23 entering it. (espn.com, nba.com) The Sixers were also playing without Joel Embiid, who had an appendectomy in Houston on April 9 after developing appendicitis overnight. Philadelphia entered the night fighting for Eastern Conference position, then left with a third straight loss and a tie with Charlotte for eighth place at 43-37. (apnews.com, espn.com) For Houston, the standings pressure ran in the other direction. The Rockets had already clinched a postseason berth, but at 51-29 they were still chasing seeding with Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers, so a game that looked safe for 36 minutes still mattered deep into the fourth. (apnews.com, espn.com) That is why Durant’s late shot felt bigger than three points. Houston did not need a miracle, but it did need one clean possession from the player it brought in for exactly this kind of moment: the clock shrinking, the other team charging, and one corner jumper ending the panic. (nba.com, espn.com)