Houston Builds 15-Point Cushion, Holds Off Warriors 115-108

Houston raced ahead 35-20 in the first quarter, then weathered Golden State’s 31-point second to carry a 56-51 lead into halftime and win 115-108 last night. The Rockets kept their edge through two tight halves, outscoring the Warriors 29-28 in the third and 30-29 in the fourth. Kevin Durant led Houston with 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting, adding four rebounds, five assists, no steals or blocks, and two turnovers. Alperen Sengun posted 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 13 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one block, and two turnovers, while Amen Thompson also scored 19 on 8-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks, and two turnovers. Fred VanVleet supplied 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, six assists, two rebounds, three steals, no blocks, and zero turnovers. Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg answered with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, no blocks, and two turnovers; Brandin Podziemski added 22 on 7-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, no blocks, and one turnover. Houston’s opening burst proved decisive: despite Golden State winning the second quarter by 10, the Rockets protected their lead across the final two periods and closed out the seven-point win.