Overview
- Kevin Durant scored 30 points and Alperen Sengun finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, with Jabari Smith Jr. adding 22 for Houston.
- Houston shot 50% from the field and went 17-for-45 from three while turning 20 Portland turnovers into 30 points.
- An 11-3 burst to close the half and an 8-0 start to the third quarter pushed the Rockets ahead by double digits for good.
- The Rockets have won eight of nine overall and moved to 1-1 in West Group C; Portland fell to 1-1 with a weakened point-differential outlook.
- Portland played under interim coach Tiago Splitter without Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle and Blake Wesley, while Houston was without Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith and saw Tari Eason leave with a bruised hip.