Rockets start fast, coast past Knicks

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 27 points, Reed Sheppard added 20 off the bench and the Houston Rockets rolled to a 111-94 victory over the visiting New York Knicks on Tuesday.

The Rockets (46-29) seized control for good early in the second quarter and didn't look back. While Durant, who made four 3-pointers and added six rebounds and eight assists, and Sheppard, who made 8 of 12 field goals with four treys, paced the onslaught, they had ample help.

Amen Thompson and Tari Eason tallied 17 points apiece for Houston, while Jabari Smith Jr. totaled 15 points with three 3-pointers. Alperen Sengun produced a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists as the Rockets shot a robust 53.8% overall, including 15-for-35 from deep (42.9%).

The Rockets recorded 35 assists on their 42 made field goals.

The Rockets harassed Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson into a 5-for-14 shooting effort and 12 points. Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Knicks (48-28) with 22 points and eight rebounds. Josh Hart added 13 points, Jose Alvarado chipped in 12 and Jordan Clarkson tallied 10.

The Rockets' first miss inside the arc came at the 2:31 mark of the first quarter. Their blistering shooting produced a 14-0 run snapped by a Brunson jumper and an extended push that bumped their lead to 29-12. Houston started 12-of-14 overall with 10 assists on their field goals.

After the Knicks shaved that deficit to 12 on a Mitchell Robinson alley-oop, Sheppard hit a corner 3 before Durant scored in transition to extend the margin to 37-21 entering the second.

The Knicks opened the second with a 14-2 run, but, as they did for the rest of the game, the Rockets fashioned a reply. After not recording a field goal until 8:07 was left in the quarter, the Rockets exploded again, restoring their double-digit lead less than two minutes later.

Sheppard added a transition 3, a dunk and a pull-up jumper before Durant scored in transition again. Durant tacked on a 3-pointer and Thompson contributed a dunk that lifted Houston to a 61-42 lead. The Knicks tacked on two late 3s before the break, but the deficit was 63-50 at the half.