Kevin Durant scored 31 points as the Houston Rockets bounced back from a controversial overtime loss to beat the Denver Nuggets 115-101 on Sunday (all times AEDT) in a game with plenty of spice.
Plus an Aussie came crashing back down to earth in his team’s horror fade-out loss to the worst team in the NBA.
Houston coach Ime Udoka was fined $25,000 by the NBA earlier this week after lambasting the officiating in the Rockets’ 128-125 defeat to Denver.
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But the Rockets avenged that loss with a hard-fought victory as the Western Conference rivals faced off again in Denver.
Durant delivered a talismanic performance which included five three-pointers, while Reed Sheppard came off the bench to score 28 points after making six-of-nine from outside the arc.
Durant was involved in an angry exchange with Denver’s Bruce Brown late in the third quarter which saw both players separated by team-mates.
Brown later refused to elaborate on what had happened between him and Durant.
“Some words were said that were a little bit disrespectful,” Brown said.
“I can’t wait to see him next time. There are certain things you don’t say to another man.”
Durant appeared nonplussed by the spat, while admitting that he had deliberately taken a combative approach into the game.
“I definitely wanted to cross the line tonight,” Durant said.
“That’s basketball… it’s part of the game. Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t. I had to learn how to talk and play as a player.
“I think Bruce is probably learning the same thing.”
It came in a game Nuggets coach David Adelman got ejected for losing it at the refs in the fourth quarter while Nikola Jokic was getting double-teamed on a play.
Houston improved to 17-8 with the win to remain fifth in the Western Conference, while Denver is third in the table at 20-7.
The Rockets are now 2-1 in the regular season series matchup between the two West contenders, with one more battle scheduled in March.
GRIZZLIES, LANDALE CRASH BACK DOWN TO EARTH IN SHOCK LOSS
From beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, to losing to the Washington Wizards.
That’s the Memphis Grizzlies’ reality after a horror second half fade-out loss to the NBA-worst Washington 130-122 in a game Memphis led by as much as 2o.
It came just days after one of the Grizzlies’ biggest wins of the season when Tuomas Iisalo’s side upset Minnesota on the road in a game Aussie Jack Landale shined.
But Landale came crashing back down to earth with five points on 2-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds on Sunday and Washington won its first game in Memphis since January 2018.
Trailing by 15 at half-time, the Wizards dominated the second half 77-54 including a 42-27 third quarter blitz.
Kyshawn George and CJ McCollum scored 28 apiece in the shock upset and Washington improved to 5-21 on the season.
For Memphis, Santi Aldama scored a career-high 37 points with 10 rebounds off the bench s and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points.
But Jackson fouled out in the dying minutes and the Grizzlies, still missing Ja Morant and Zach Edey, fell to 13-15 after winning nine of its previous 12 contests.
Next up, the Griz visit OKC on Tuesday for a tough matchup with the NBA-best 25-3 Thunder, who are coming off a rare loss to Minnesota.
ELSEWHERE …
In Toronto, Payton Pritchard’s 33 points helped the Boston Celtics to a 112-96 defeat of the Raptors.
Pritchard added eight rebounds and 10 assists while five other Boston players finished in double figures as the Celtics improved to 17-11.
In Philadelphia, number one draft pick Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis scored 24 points apiece but it was not enough to prevent the Dallas Mavericks from slipping to a 121-114 loss to the 76ers, who were inspired by a 38-point salvo from Tyrese Maxey.
ALL SCORES
Rockets 115 Nuggets 101
Mavericks 114 76ers 121
Celtics 112 Raptors 96
Pacers 109 Pelicans 128
Hornets 86 Pistons 112
Wizards 130 Grizzlies 122
Suns 116 Warriors 119
Magic – Jazz
Trail Blazers – Kings
Lakers – Clippers
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