Kevin Durant capped a 39-point performance by sinking four free throws in the final minute as the Houston Rockets sealed a 110-105 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Durant finished 11 of 18 from the floor and 6 of 8 from 3-point range to lead Houston’s comeback from a 12-point deficit.
His handiwork at the charity stripe answered a late surge from Julius Randle, who matched Durant with 39 points and scored consecutive baskets that sliced a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to 105-102 with 1:33 to play. Randle shot 14 of 25 from the floor.
Houston’s Alperen Sengun posted 25 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late. Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson each added 14 points for the Rockets.
Naz Reid paired 25 points with nine rebounds off the bench for the Timberwolves, who were without leading scorer Anthony Edwards (foot). The teams combined to miss 29 free throws.
The Rockets secured their first lead at 59-57 on a Durant 3-pointer at the 10:49 mark of the third quarter. That advantage remained slim thanks in large part to Randle, who scored the first 11 points of the half for the Timberwolves before Reid drilled a trey that supplied Minnesota with a 69-67 lead.
Randle resumed his rampage with a dunk on the ensuing Timberwolves possession and totaled 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the period, and Minnesota took an 82-81 lead into the fourth.
Minnesota had seven fastbreak points by the midpoint of the first quarter, and when Reid scored in the post at the 3:58 mark, the Timberwolves took their first double-digit lead at 24-13.
Sheppard pulled the Rockets back into contention with a 3-for-3 start from behind the arc, and Houston shaved a 12-point deficit to 34-29 entering the second. However, the Rockets continued their scoring struggles and didn’t record their first basket of the second until 7:53 remained in the half.
Despite their offensive woes, the Rockets kept scrapping. Reid drilled a 3-pointer that extended the Minnesota lead to nine, only for the Rockets to close the half with a flourish. Jabari Smith Jr. blocked a Randle drive to the rim before Houston executed a late offensive set to perfection, with Sheppard finding Durant for a corner trey that cut the margin to 55-53 at the break.
