HOUSTON -- — Kevin Durant scored 30 points in three quarters to lead the Houston Rockets to an easy 117-100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

The Rockets won their second straight after they lost four of their previous five games.

Durant, who also had seven assists and four rebounds, didn’t play in the fourth quarter with Houston up by 27 points after three.

The Cavaliers cut the lead to 12 on a basket by Darius Garland with about seven minutes left in the third quarter before Houston used a 15-0 run to make it 85-58 about two minutes later. After a dunk by Durant in that stretch, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson received a technical for yelling at the officials and Durant made the free throw.

Jabari Smith Jr. capped the run with a 3-pointer before Dean Wade made a 3 to give the Cavaliers their first points in more than four minutes.

Reserve Jaylon Tyson had 23 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell added 16 points on 7-for-17 shooting for the Cavaliers, who dropped a second straight game and their fifth in the last seven games.

The Rockets scored seven straight points, with 3s from Tari Eason and Smith, to take a 16-12 lead and never trailed again.

Tyson hit a shot for the Cavaliers after that but Houston then used a 12-2 spurt, with nine points from Durant, to push the lead to 28-16 late in the first.

Reed Sheppard added 18 points and eight assists off the bench for the Rockets. Smith had 15 points to tie a career high with his fifth straight game with at least 15 points.

Houston’s Steven Adams had nine points and eight assists starting in place of All-Star Alperen Sengun, who missed the game with calf tightness.

Up next

Cavaliers: Visit San Antonio on Monday night.

Rockets: Host the Pacers on Monday night.

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

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Jarrett Allen vs. Steven Adams (Darius Garland gains possession)	0	0
11:32	Sam Merrill makes 26-foot three point jumper (Donovan Mitchell assists)	0	3
11:09	Sam Merrill shooting foul	0	3
11:09	Steven Adams makes free throw 1 of 2	1	3
11:09	Steven Adams makes free throw 2 of 2	2	3
10:58	Donovan Mitchell misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	2	3
10:56	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	2	3
10:38	Steven Adams misses driving layup	2	3
10:37	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	2	3
10:34	Tari Eason misses 24-foot three point jumper	2	3
10:34	Dean Wade defensive rebound	2	3
10:26	Sam Merrill misses 26-foot running jump shot	2	3
10:25	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	2	3
10:11	Kevin Durant makes 17-foot jumper	4	3
10:01	Dean Wade misses 26-foot three point jumper	4	3
10:00	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	4	3
9:51	Amen Thompson lost ball turnover (Jarrett Allen steals)	4	3
9:42	Darius Garland lost ball turnover (Tari Eason steals)	4	3
9:32	Kevin Durant misses 10-foot pullup jump shot	4	3
9:32	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	4	3
9:22	Donovan Mitchell makes 12-foot driving floating jump shot (Dean Wade assists)	4	5
9:01	Darius Garland shooting foul	4	5
9:01	Steven Adams misses free throw 1 of 2	4	5
9:01	Rockets offensive team rebound	4	5
9:01	Steven Adams misses free throw 2 of 2	4	5
9:01	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	4	5
8:50	Jarrett Allen makes driving layup (Sam Merrill assists)	4	7
8:38	Jarrett Allen shooting foul	4	7
8:38	Kevin Durant misses free throw 1 of 2	4	7
8:38	Rockets offensive team rebound	4	7
8:38	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 2	5	7
8:25	Jarrett Allen lost ball turnover (Jabari Smith Jr. steals)	5	7
8:21	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 11-foot running pullup jump shot (Kevin Durant assists)	7	7
8:19	Cavaliers Full timeout	7	7
8:07	Darius Garland makes 30-foot three point jumper (Sam Merrill assists)	7	10
7:47	Kevin Durant makes 10-foot two point shot	9	10
7:36	Darius Garland makes 6-foot two point shot	9	12
7:17	Amen Thompson misses driving layup	9	12
7:16	Steven Adams offensive rebound	9	12
7:13	Steven Adams lost ball turnover (Jarrett Allen steals)	9	12
7:05	Tari Eason blocks Donovan Mitchell 's 8-foot driving floating jump shot	9	12
7:04	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	9	12
6:58	Tari Eason makes 25-foot running jump shot (Amen Thompson assists)	12	12
6:41	Jarrett Allen bad pass turnover (Steven Adams steals)	12	12
6:35	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Tari Eason	12	12
6:35	De'Andre Hunter enters the game for Donovan Mitchell	12	12
6:19	Amen Thompson misses 13-foot two point shot	12	12
6:18	Sam Merrill defensive rebound	12	12
6:12	Dean Wade misses 24-foot running jump shot	12	12
6:10	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	12	12
6:02	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 25-foot three point jumper (Kevin Durant assists)	15	12
5:50	Darius Garland misses 24-foot three point pullup jump shot	15	12
5:49	Steven Adams defensive rebound	15	12
5:36	Dean Wade shooting foul	15	12
5:36	Steven Adams makes free throw 1 of 2	16	12
5:36	Dorian Finney-Smith enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	16	12
5:36	Lonzo Ball enters the game for Sam Merrill	16	12
5:36	Jaylon Tyson enters the game for Jarrett Allen	16	12
5:36	Evan Mobley enters the game for Dean Wade	16	12
5:36	Steven Adams misses free throw 2 of 2	16	12
5:36	Dorian Finney-Smith offensive rebound	16	12
5:24	Reed Sheppard misses 27-foot three point jumper	16	12
5:23	Jaylon Tyson defensive rebound	16	12
5:11	Evan Mobley misses 24-foot three point jumper	16	12
5:09	Jaylon Tyson offensive rebound	16	12
5:07	Jaylon Tyson makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot	16	14
4:50	Kevin Durant makes 12-foot two point shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	18	14
4:40	Darius Garland bad pass turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	18	14
4:36	Lonzo Ball shooting foul	18	14
4:36	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 2	19	14
4:36	Clint Capela enters the game for Steven Adams	19	14
4:36	Donovan Mitchell enters the game for Darius Garland	19	14
4:36	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 2	20	14
4:23	De'Andre Hunter lost ball turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	20	14
4:06	Amen Thompson makes 23-foot three point jumper (Dorian Finney-Smith assists)	23	14
3:53	Evan Mobley makes 9-foot pullup jump shot	23	16
3:39	Amen Thompson misses driving layup	23	16
3:38	Clint Capela offensive rebound	23	16
3:36	Clint Capela misses tip shot	23	16
3:35	Clint Capela offensive rebound	23	16
3:35	Clint Capela misses tip shot	23	16
3:34	Donovan Mitchell defensive rebound	23	16
3:30	Evan Mobley misses 23-foot running jump shot	23	16
3:27	Reed Sheppard defensive rebound	23	16
3:19	Kevin Durant makes 24-foot three point jumper (Reed Sheppard assists)	26	16
3:18	Cavaliers Full timeout	26	16
3:18	Tari Eason enters the game for Amen Thompson	26	16
3:07	De'Andre Hunter misses 24-foot three point jumper	26	16
3:05	Evan Mobley offensive rebound	26	16
3:01	Evan Mobley bad pass turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	26	16
2:39	Kevin Durant makes 12-foot fade away jump shot	28	16
2:26	Tari Eason personal foul	28	16
2:16	Tari Eason shooting foul	28	16
2:16	Lonzo Ball makes free throw 1 of 2	28	17
2:16	Amen Thompson enters the game for Tari Eason	28	17
2:16	Lonzo Ball makes free throw 2 of 2	28	18
2:02	Reed Sheppard misses 27-foot three point jumper	28	18
2:00	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	28	18
1:48	Evan Mobley lost ball turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	28	18
1:44	Jaylon Tyson personal foul	28	18
1:44	Reed Sheppard makes free throw 1 of 2	29	18
1:44	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Clint Capela	29	18
1:44	Reed Sheppard makes free throw 2 of 2	30	18
1:31	Donovan Mitchell makes 13-foot driving floating jump shot	30	20
1:13	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Evan Mobley steals)	30	20
1:09	Jaylon Tyson makes two point shot (Evan Mobley assists)	30	22
50.6	Evan Mobley blocks Amen Thompson 's 4-foot driving layup	30	22
47.9	De'Andre Hunter defensive rebound	30	22
45.7	Jaylon Tyson lost ball turnover (Dorian Finney-Smith steals)	30	22
42.5	Amen Thompson makes 1-foot running dunk (Kevin Durant assists)	32	22
31.5	Donovan Mitchell makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot	32	24
10.7	Kevin Durant misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	32	24
8.8	Jaylon Tyson defensive rebound	32	24
4.5	De'Andre Hunter misses 25-foot running jump shot	32	24
1.9	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	32	24
0.5	Reed Sheppard misses heave jump shot	32	24
0.1	Rockets offensive team rebound	32	24
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	32	24

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Toyota Center (Houston)

Houston, TX

Date & Time

1:00 AM, December 28, 2025

Coverage

FanDuel SN OH, Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass

Attendance

18,067

Referees

Marc Davis, Karl Lane, Jenna Reneau

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	45	16	.738	L2
Cleveland	39	24	.619	W2
Milwaukee	26	35	.426	L4
Chicago	26	37	.413	W1
Indiana	15	48	.238	L8

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	46	17	.730	W3
Houston	39	23	.629	W1
Memphis	23	38	.377	L2
Dallas	21	42	.333	L6
New Orleans	20	45	.308	L1

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Kevin Durant scores 30 points to lead the Rockets to a dominant win over the Cavaliers

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