Kevin Durant, Rockets show physical side in rally vs. Suns, earn 7th straight win

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksPlayoff Matchups As Of TodayInside NBA Sneaker CultureHistory of NBA GrowthNBA Season Kevin Durant (7) and Dillon Brooks jump-started a physical Tuesday night for Houston and Phoenix. The Rockets rallied from an early 21-point deficit to secure their seventh consecutive win. Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images Share full articlePHOENIX — Emotions were already high Tuesday, as Kevin Durant played his first game in Phoenix and Jalen Green played his first game against his former team since last summer’s blockbuster trade that linked the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns. But the physicality and animosity between the two teams still exceeded what anyone could’ve expected coming into the night. By the end of the first half, there were more altercations than a reality show reunion. It felt like the referees were breaking up a potential fight just about every five minutes. But after falling behind by 21 points in the first quarter, the Rockets didn’t allow those emotions to overcome them. They didn’t allow some of their early mistakes to divide them. They didn’t allow Dillon Brooks and his antics to distract them from their ultimate goal. Once the second quarter began, the Rockets didn’t just work their way back into the game. They dominated a highly motivated Suns team and ran away with a 119-105 road victory, extending their season-long winning streak to seven games. The Rockets weren’t just the better team Tuesday night. They were tougher. They were more physical. They were more poised. They looked like a team that’s mentally and physically ready for playoff basketball. It may be shocking to some to see how far Houston has come after back-to-back ugly losses in Chicago and Minnesota a few weeks ago. The Rockets’ last seven wins have shown just how quickly they’ve matured as a group and how much they’re willing to battle for each other when adversity hits. This was an Ime Udoka game. There aren’t many coaches who get greater enjoyment from watching their team get involved in pushing matches or trash talk or anything else that raises the intensity of a game. But what Udoka loved most about the win was watching his team unite to bully a Phoenix team that’s been lauded for its toughness all season. “We turned it around pretty quickly. It shows we’ve got that will and that grit to get back in it,” Udoka said. “It shows we’ve grown in that area. To be down 21 and win by (14), it was a huge turnaround for a lot of reasons, but I don’t think anybody held their heads.” This was also a Durant game. The 37-year-old didn’t put up an insane number of points, and his efficiency wasn’t as impressive as usual, but he provided the superstar presence the Rockets were looking for when they acquired him last summer. Despite a slow start from himself and his team, Durant caught fire in the second quarter after the most predictable altercation of the night took place. It began with Brooks pushing Durant to the floor on a foul with 7:36 in the second quarter, prompting Durant to jump up and start exchanging words with the Suns’ resident agitator — who, a year ago, was Houston’s resident agitator. As things heated up between Durant and Brooks, the Rockets got the ball to their best scorer on the ensuing possession, and Durant made a quick move that sent Brooks tumbling to the floor before Durant pulled up and drained a midrange jumper. Over the past decade, Durant has gained a reputation for using trash talk from overzealous defenders as fuel, and once he starts barking back, it only makes him more dangerous. Following that exchange with Brooks, Durant scored or assisted on 16 of Houston’s next 23 points to finish the half, which ignited his team and sent them into halftime trailing by just three points. Once Durant starts trash-talking and knocking down shots, it only raises the intensity and focus of his younger teammates. Durant’s reaction didn’t just remind his teammates how to react when things get chippy in a playoff environment. It showed them how to thrive among the chaos — and they followed his lead the rest of the way. And, in typical Durant fashion, he dismissed any thought that Brooks could’ve been the one to get him going, sliding in a quick postgame jab: “I don’t think about guys like Dillon Brooks when I’m out there playing.” “I think he needed it more than I did. He didn’t feel like he was part of the game. … That gets him going,” said Durant, who finished with 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting. “He made a couple shots after that. It’s fun. It’s cool to compete against guys that play hard. But I don’t need him or anybody to give me extra motivation to play.” Even though he wasn’t even in the building, Tuesday was a Steven Adams game, too. Despite being without one of the league’s top offensive rebounders following his season-ending ankle surgery in January, Houston still pummeled the smaller Suns on the offensive glass. The Rockets finished with 37 second-chance points after grabbing 24 offensive rebounds, which fell one short of tying the team’s season-high. Crushing the offensive glass helped the Rockets control the pace of the game and demoralize the Suns during stretches when some of their better defensive possessions didn’t result in a stop. The beauty of this Rockets roster is that, even though they haven’t been able to play some of the massive frontcourt lineups they leaned on early in the season with Adams, they still can dominate the glass with some of their unique perimeter players who love to operate in the paint. Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Josh Okogie accounted for 12 offensive rebounds collectively; Alperen Şengün grabbed seven offensive boards alone. As the Rockets kept attacking the offensive glass, it helped them build confidence on both ends of the floor. “It was great because we were turning the ball over too much. They got 39 free throws, so it kind of balanced it out with 37 second-chance points for us,” Udoka said. “It gave us some extra possessions.” In the end, once it came time to put the Suns away for good, Tuesday became an Amen Thompson game. The Rockets’ do-it-all combo guard responded to his early altercations with Green in the first half and impacted the game in numerous areas. He defended Green and Booker at a high level when his number was called. He scored in transition. He attacked the offensive glass. He played in the dunker spot and took pressure off Şengün. Most importantly, when the game slowed down, Thompson took control of the offense and he made sure Houston got good shots every time down. He used his voice. He directed Durant and Şengün to make sure they got the ball in their spots. He shook off Suns defenders who tried to speed him up by pressuring the ball. He showed poise. Thompson’s final stat line was quite impressive — 22 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals — but it still didn’t capture all the little things he did to impact winning for his team down the stretch. He accounted for 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in the fourth quarter alone. Durant called his performance in the closing moments “surgical.” It was, without question, one of Thompson’s most complete performances of the season. “He controlled the game. He was on some real (point guard) s— tonight,” Rockets forward Jabari Smith said after the game. “He was demanding the ball, getting us in sets. The ball pressure wasn’t rattling him. He calmed us down. Obviously, nobody can stay in front of him. He kind of took us home in that last 10 minutes (of the fourth quarter).” As much as we’ve focused on the progression the Rockets have made offensively during this current win streak, Tuesday’s victory almost felt like a throwback to last season when Houston burst onto the scene by being tougher, meaner, more physical and more fearless than most of their opponents on a nightly basis. That’s the style of basketball Udoka promised to bring to Houston when he took over as head coach three years ago. As this team continues to hit its stride before the start of the playoffs, it’s learned to combine some of that toughness with the scoring prowess that’s necessary to compete with the best of the best — blending Durant’s flash with Udoka’s substance. “It just shows our resiliency. The type of team we’ve been all season,” Durant said. “(Tuesday) was one of my favorite wins of the year.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Will Guillory is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. He is a New Orleans native. Follow William on Twitter @WillGuillory