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HOUSTON, Tex. – Kevin Durant had 36 points as Oklahoma City rallied from a double digit halftime deficit to hold Houston to just 19 points in the second half en route to a 104-92 win.
Durant also had seven assists and five rebounds for the Thunder who trailed by 14 points at the end of the second quarter before pulling away in the second half.
“We did not have the pace that we had in the first half,” Rockets head coach Kevin McHale said. “We just couldn’t sustain our pace in the second half.”
The Rockets led 73-59 at the break after going 12-of-20 from beyond the arc, but missed all 14 of their three-point attempts over the final two quarters while scoring a woeful 19 points.
The minus-54 point differential is the largest between halves in NBA history.
Reggie Jackson finished with 23 points and six steals for the Thunder, who had lost three of their previous four games.
Houston’s James Harden collected 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds against his former team.
Terrence Jones chipped in with 16 points and 13 boards for the Rockets who had their three-game win streak snapped.
A Chandler Parsons layup pulled Houston within 90-89 midway through the fourth, but the Thunder answered with a 13-3 surge.
Jackson had seven points during the run, which he finished off with a dunk for a 103-92 Thunder lead with just over one minute left.
The Thunder led 36-32 at the end of the first quarter, but the Rockets outscored the Thunder 41-23 in the second to take a 14-point lead into the locker room.
Durant’s three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer tied the game at 83-83. – Rappler.com
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