Houston’s star duo combined for 51 points and 11 assists, out-executing Chicago down the stretch to flip a 35-lead-change slugfest and re-assert playoff urgency.
The Houston Rockets didn’t just snap a three-game losing streak Tuesday; they re-announced their half-court identity. Kevin Durant poured in 28 points and Alperen Sengun authored a 23-point, 11-assist masterpiece as Houston edged Chicago 119-113 inside a raucous Toyota Center, surviving 35 lead changes and a career-best 34 from Tre Jones.
How the final 3:30 flipped
Scoreboard read 106-105 Bulls when Ime Udoka called timeout. What followed was a textbook close:
- 7-0 burst—Durant dunk, Sengun hockey-assist to Jabari Smith Jr. for a corner three, Smith baseline jumper.
- 115-108 cushion—Smith step-back triple at the 1:30 mark, capping 10 straight Rockets points from the Durant-Sengun axis.
- Seal-the-deal punctuation—Durant’s one-hand slam over two help defenders with 47 seconds left made it 117-110 and forced Billy Donovan to burn his last timeout.
Chicago’s clutch math problem
The Bulls entered the fourth 9-for-19 from deep, then went ice-cold: 2-of-9 the rest of the way. Matas Buzelis’ corner triple at 3:51 gave Chicago its last lead; Houston answered with defensive switches that funneled everything toward mid-range jumpers. Chicago finished the final four minutes 3-of-11 overall, 0-of-4 on threes, and turned it over twice—both live-ball strips by Amen Thompson.
Standings & implications
The win shoves Houston to 23-17, 1.5 games clear of the play-in line in the West and only two back of fifth-seed Phoenix. Chicago slips to 18-23, now 3-7 in its last 10 and staring at a brutal upcoming slate—Utah, Denver, Milwaukee—before the All-Star break.
What’s next
- Rockets host Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder Thursday; a victory there would give Houston its first four-game winning streak since 2021.
- Bulls return home Wednesday versus a Jazz squad that just dropped 138 on Golden State—another must-win if Chicago wants to stay inside the East’s top-10.
Udoka’s post-game quote said it plainly: “We needed a grown-man finish. Kevin and Alperen delivered that.” With the West’s middle tier jammed tighter than ever, Tuesday’s grown-man finish could be the hinge that swings Houston’s season—and nudges Chicago toward deadline seller status.
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