DENVER -- — Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Reed Sheppard scored the final 11 points of the third quarter to blow open a close game, and the Houston Rockets rolled past the Denver Nuggets 115-101 on Saturday.

Sheppard was 6 for 9 from long range and scored 28 points. His last bucket came on a steal and a slam after the Nuggets reserves had trimmed a 21-point deficit to 107-97 in the closing minutes.

The Rockets avenged a loss earlier in the week at Denver and snapped the Nuggets' six-game winning streak. Durant was 5 for 6 from 3-point range and Jabari Smith was 5 for 11 from long range for 22 points.

The Rockets shot 19 of 35 from long range (54%) to Denver’s 8 of 29 (27%).

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 25 points and Jamal Murray scored 16.

Denver coach Dave Adelman was ejected with 8:40 left in the game after arguing that Jokic should have gotten a whistle.

The Nuggets had pulled to within 71-66 with 1:29 left in the third quarter when Sheppard swished a pair of 3-pointers around a turnover by Murray. He sank two free throws and capped his run with another 3-pointer that gave the Rockets an 82-66 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Little went right for Denver, which was without star defender Peyton Watson (right trunk bruise) to guard Durant.

The rematch came three days after Rockets coach Ime Udoka was fined $25,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating in Houston’s 128-125 overtime loss to the Nuggets on Monday night.

He had little to complain about in this one, especially after Sheppard's 3s short-circuited Denver's comeback.

The Rockets took a 53-45 halftime lead after Josh Okogie hit a trio of 3-pointers, fueling an 11-0 run in the second quarter that helped Houston take control.

Up next

Rockets: Visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

Nuggets: Host the Utah Jazz on Monday night.

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Alperen Sengun vs. Nikola Jokic (Cameron Johnson gains possession)	0	0
12:00	Cameron Johnson misses 23-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:42	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	0	0
11:25	Alperen Sengun makes 1-foot two point shot (Kevin Durant assists)	0	2
11:11	Nikola Jokic bad pass turnover (Amen Thompson steals)	0	2
11:05	Jabari Smith Jr. out of bounds bad pass turnover	0	2
10:55	Tim Hardaway Jr. out of bounds bad pass turnover	0	2
10:42	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Tim Hardaway Jr. steals)	0	2
10:36	Spencer Jones misses 23-foot running jump shot	0	2
10:32	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	0	2
10:24	Kevin Durant misses 12-foot two point shot	0	2
10:23	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	0	2
10:23	Amen Thompson makes tip shot	0	4
10:07	Spencer Jones makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot (Jamal Murray assists)	2	4
9:55	Kevin Durant makes 24-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	2	7
9:43	Nikola Jokic misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	2	7
9:39	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	2	7
9:34	Amen Thompson misses 11-foot pullup jump shot	2	7
9:32	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	2	7
9:19	Tim Hardaway Jr. misses driving floating jump shot	2	7
9:18	Rockets defensive team rebound	2	7
9:18	Nikola Jokic loose ball foul	2	7
8:59	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 24-foot three point jumper (Josh Okogie assists)	2	10
8:43	Jamal Murray misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	2	10
8:41	Rockets defensive team rebound	2	10
8:31	Alperen Sengun out of bounds bad pass turnover	2	10
8:19	Spencer Jones makes 2-foot layup (Nikola Jokic assists)	4	10
8:04	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	4	10
8:00	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	4	10
7:58	Cameron Johnson misses running layup	4	10
7:58	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	4	10
7:47	Alperen Sengun lost ball turnover (Jamal Murray steals)	4	10
7:42	Tim Hardaway Jr. makes 23-foot running jump shot (Jamal Murray assists)	7	10
7:22	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 20-foot pullup jump shot	7	12
7:13	Cameron Johnson makes 27-foot three point jumper (Jamal Murray assists)	10	12
7:11	Rockets Full timeout	10	12
6:49	Amen Thompson makes dunk (Alperen Sengun assists)	10	14
6:29	Nikola Jokic makes 4-foot two point shot	12	14
6:07	Jabari Smith Jr. lost ball turnover (Cameron Johnson steals)	12	14
5:47	Nikola Jokic makes 4-foot two point shot	14	14
5:31	Spencer Jones shooting foul	14	14
5:31	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 3	14	15
5:31	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 3	14	16
5:31	Bruce Brown enters the game for Cameron Johnson	14	16
5:31	Steven Adams enters the game for Alperen Sengun	14	16
5:31	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Amen Thompson	14	16
5:31	Kevin Durant makes free throw 3 of 3	14	17
5:17	Nikola Jokic misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	14	17
5:15	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	14	17
4:59	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Spencer Jones steals)	14	17
4:55	Spencer Jones makes two point shot	16	17
4:39	Reed Sheppard misses 10-foot fade away jump shot	16	17
4:37	Nikola Jokic defensive rebound	16	17
4:29	Nikola Jokic makes driving layup	18	17
4:14	Kevin Durant misses 2-foot two point shot	18	17
4:12	Spencer Jones defensive rebound	18	17
4:10	Tim Hardaway Jr. makes 1-foot running dunk (Spencer Jones assists)	20	17
4:00	Reed Sheppard makes 25-foot three pointer	20	20
3:41	Spencer Jones misses 25-foot three point jumper	20	20
3:40	Nuggets offensive team rebound	20	20
3:40	Jalen Pickett enters the game for Tim Hardaway Jr.	20	20
3:40	Amen Thompson enters the game for Josh Okogie	20	20
3:35	Jamal Murray makes 25-foot three point jumper (Nikola Jokic assists)	23	20
3:21	Reed Sheppard makes 25-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	23	23
2:55	Jamal Murray misses 15-foot step back jumpshot	23	23
2:53	Rockets defensive team rebound	23	23
2:53	Nikola Jokic loose ball foul	23	23
2:53	Nuggets Full timeout	23	23
2:53	David Adelman technical foul	23	23
2:53	Jonas Valanciunas enters the game for Nikola Jokic	23	23
2:53	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	23	23
2:53	Kevin Durant misses technical free throw	23	23
2:53	Rockets offensive team rebound	23	23
2:28	Amen Thompson misses 25-foot three point jumper	23	23
2:25	Steven Adams offensive rebound	23	23
2:16	Reed Sheppard makes 23-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	23	26
2:01	Jamal Murray out of bounds bad pass turnover	23	26
2:01	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Kevin Durant	23	26
1:39	Reed Sheppard misses 30-foot three point jumper	23	26
1:35	Jalen Pickett defensive rebound	23	26
1:26	Jonas Valanciunas misses 8-foot fade away jump shot	23	26
1:23	Steven Adams defensive rebound	23	26
1:09	Jonas Valanciunas blocks Amen Thompson 's 2-foot dunk	23	26
1:06	Steven Adams offensive rebound	23	26
1:06	Steven Adams misses two point shot	23	26
1:04	Bruce Brown defensive rebound	23	26
56.7	Spencer Jones makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jonas Valanciunas assists)	26	26
36.8	Aaron Holiday misses 18-foot pullup jump shot	26	26
31.7	Steven Adams offensive rebound	26	26
31.7	Steven Adams misses tip shot	26	26
30.7	Spencer Jones defensive rebound	26	26
10.6	Jamal Murray makes 27-foot three point jumper (Spencer Jones assists)	29	26
1.8	Alperen Sengun misses 15-foot fade away jump shot	29	26
1.8	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	29	26
0.3	Amen Thompson misses tip shot	29	26
0.1	Steven Adams offensive rebound	29	26
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	29	26

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Ball Arena

Denver, CO

Date & Time

10:00 PM, December 20, 2025

Coverage

Space City Home Network, Altitude Sports, NBA TV

Attendance

19,955

Referees

Eric Dalen, Marc Davis, Tyler Ricks

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	36	16	.692	W4
Houston	32	19	.627	W1
Memphis	20	31	.392	L2
Dallas	19	33	.365	L7
New Orleans	14	40	.259	W1

2025-26 Northwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Oklahoma City	40	13	.755	L2
Denver	34	19	.642	W1
Minnesota	32	22	.593	L2
Portland	25	28	.472	W2
Utah	16	37	.302	L2

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Durant scores 31, Sheppard's 11-point flurry helps Rockets end Nuggets' 6-game win streak, 115-101

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