Kevin Durant’s 35 Points Propel Shocking Overtime Triumph Over Magic in Nail-Biting Finish

Sometimes you just know you’re in for a thriller — and last night’s Rockets vs. Magic showdown was nothing short of electric. Houston clawed its way through a nail-biting overtime to notch their ninth victory of the season, beating Orlando 117-113. The final moments? Pure madness. Durant and Sengun, those two relentless warriors, dropped clutch baskets when it mattered most, while Anthony Black’s foul-and-dunk combo sparked the Magic’s last gasp. Yet, the story belongs to Kevin Durant, who wasn’t about to let the Rockets slip away — sinking a killer shot with just 9.2 seconds left in extra time to seize the lead. It was a showcase of grit, skill, and sheer willpower from Houston, with Durant topping the scoreboard at 35 points and Sengun lighting up the minutes and points columns alike. Meanwhile, the Rockets’ young guns Sheppard and Thompson stepped up sleekly off the bench, proving this squad isn’t just about star power but depth too. The Rockets’ sharp shooting, especially from beyond the arc, combined with their improved free throw game, made all the difference — pushing them up to a solid 9-3 and into third place in the West. Meanwhile, Orlando’s fightback fell just short, hampered on the boards and in the paint despite strong efforts from Wagner and Bane. This streak marks Houston’s fourth straight win and ninth in ten tries since the early stumble, and trust me, they’re building something special here. Next stop? A road trip to Cleveland where the Rockets aim to keep this sizzling run alive. LEARN MORE

It took overtime, but the Houston Rockets pulled out their ninth win of this young NBA season by defeating the Orlando Magic, 117-113.

The end of regulation in this game was crazy. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun hit clutch shots down the stretch, and Magic guard Anthony Black came up with a loose ball and dunked on a fast break, where he was also fouled to keep Orlando alive.

However, Durant wasn’t done there as he hit another clutch shot in overtime to put Houston up 113-110, with 9.2 seconds remaining in overtime. Durant led all scorers with 35 points in the win and played the most minutes along with Alperen Sengun who also posted 45 minutes and 30 points in the win.

Second year Rockets guard Reed Sheppard chipped in 16 points off the bench and Amen Thompson dropped a double double with his 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets shot 40% from 3-points range and just two of those came from Durant. Houston also made 86.2% of their free throw attempts, both of which were an issue for the Rockets last season. Houston improved to 9-3 with the win and are currently sitting in third place in the western conference.

Orlando fell to 7-7 after Sunday night’s road loss despite Franz Wagner’s 29 points and 26 from Desmond Bane. The Magic were dominated on the boards by the Rockets, 60-38. Orlando also lost the points in the paint battle by 12, 58-46.

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This was Houston’s fourth consecutive win and their ninth in the last 10 games after starting the season 0-2. Durant has been every bit of what was advertised for the Rockets thus far, averaging 25.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game and shooting over 42% from behind the arc. Houston’s next game is on Wednesday where they’ll look to make it five in a row on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.