Game Recap: Suns collapse late against Rockets despite Kevin Durant’s big night

Kevin Durant scores 37 in a 119-111 loss to the Rockets.

The Phoenix Suns came out swinging against the Houston Rockets but fall 119-111.

A big game from Kevin Durant (37 points) and Bol Bol (15 points) kept the Suns energized throughout, even as things started to fall apart around them. With Collin Gillespie stepping in to run the offense and TyTy Washington knocking down clutch shots, the Suns found a balance of youth and veteran leadership. Meanwhile, an angry and determined Durant was willing to take down the Rockets himself.

After a game that was competitive and a game that the Suns looked like they could steal, the Suns ended up falling short.

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Game Flow

First Half

Royce O’Neale came out firing for the Suns, hitting his first three three-pointers to put the Suns up 15-8 early in the game. But you can’t forget about Kevin Durant who helped with grabbing a quick four points and doing his thing like he normally does.

Durant continued to dominate the first quarter, while turnovers began to rear their head for the Suns. They did their best to manage every possession, but the Rockets fought their way back into the game after trailing by seven points.

The Rockets fought their way back into the game behind Jalen Green, who scored 11 points and dominated the paint. Lacking shot deterrence and the speed to keep up defensively, the Suns surrendered 16 points in the paint early, along with 11 fast-break points in the first quarter.

With that, the Suns still held a 34-32 lead, thanks to TyTy Washington knocking down a couple of shots to put them ahead.

Starting the second quarter on a 13-6 run, the Rockets came out fast, getting to the rim at will once again. As the Suns adjusted to a young lineup that included TyTy Washington and Colin Gillespie, there were several tweaks to work out. However, the Rockets showed little mercy, taking control of the game before the Suns were forced to call a timeout.

Ending the first half with a bang, the Suns had big shots from Bol Bol and TyTy to put the Suns up 57-51. And KD kept cooking and hitting the bottom of the net.

Second Half

Coming out strong, the Suns looked to build on their momentum from the first half, but the Rockets quickly disrupted their rhythm by forcing turnovers and pressuring them into making the wrong passes.

With eight minutes left in the third quarter, the Rockets held a slim 66-65 lead.

It was a back-and-forth battle between Durant and the Rockets. The Suns stayed in the game for most of the third quarter, responding with aggressive drives to the rim and converting tough shots.

Durant was unstoppable and playing every possession like it was his last. Here is another highlight!

Gillespie went off to end the third quarter with five points and kept the Suns up on the Rockets 92-84.

Starting the fourth quarter, the Rockets went on a 10-3 run, and it was a game again after the Suns looked like they were pulling away. With Gillespie running the offense, it looked like the Suns found someone that can run the offense and keep the game close without the Rockets taking the lead back.

But it was Tyus Jones reentering the game who made a costly mistake, giving the ball away and allowing the Rockets to take a three-point lead with seven minutes left. Jones struggled to keep the team focused, as his errors proved costly down the stretch.

Turnover after turnover, Tyus let the Rockets take control of the game.

Down by five with three minutes left in the game, it looked to be the Rockets game.

In the end the Suns never gave up but made too many mistakes in the fourth, losing 119-111.

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Up Next

The Suns won’t return to the court until after the All-Star break when they face the San Antonio Spurs on February 20th.

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