Rockets' Winning Streak Has Come With Reliving Kevin Durant of Pressure

The Rockets were over-reliant on Durant to bail them out in clutch games earlier in the season. But Houston has figured out how to be more than a one-man show.

Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) walks off the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

With just 16.1 seconds left in the Houston Rockets' Sunday-night matchup with the Golden State Warriors, everyone in the arena thought the ball was going to Kevin Durant. The 37-year-old has been the driving engine behind his team's offense.

Even though the Rockets have had so many problems on that end of the floor, Durant was one of the few players keeping them afloat. Through the rough patches, turnover issues and falling short in the clutch, he has been one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA, averaging 25.9 points on 52-41-88 shooting splits.

So when Durant caught the inbounds pass and took De'Anthony Melton off the dribble, Draymond Green immediately shifted over to double-team the two-time MVP. Only, he wasn't the one to take the last shot.

Houston has evolved amid a six-game winning streak. The offense ranks first in efficiency rating since March 26 by nearly three points. The Rockets have been an elite defensive team, but against a variety of competition, they've been able to get more from supplementary players.

Outside of Durant, four players are averaging at least 15 points per game. Reed Sheppard (15.2 PPG) and Jabari Smith Jr. (18.2 PPG) have been major bright spots, both shooting above 46% from the field and 44% from three.

Alperen Şengün, who has dealt with his fair share of criticism in year one alongside KD, has been a more versatile scorer through the victors, averaging 21.8 points and 6.7 assists 58-50-73 shooting splits.

It's allowed Durant to be more of a facilitator on top of the first option. It's taken so much weight off his shoulders, because he doesn't need to do too much. The 6-foot-11 sniper hasn't taken more than 18 field goals and seven three-pointers across Houston's last six games.

So, as much as it may have been a shock in the moment, it's not surprising that Durant recognized Green aggressively helping to find Şengün under the basket for the game-winning layup. The rest of the rotation is giving the first-year Rocket the help he needs to where turnovers are limited and shots aren't forced.

At 49-29, Houston is one game out of the fourth seed in the Western Conference, which would give the team home-court advantage in the playoffs. The Rockets have some tough games coming up, but they're riding the most momentum they've had all year. Just when the season looked lost, they started to figure out how to maximize Durant's impact while letting the rest of the young core shine.