Small Ball and Durant’s Defense Shows Up for Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets came out on Thursday and got a win over the Charlotte Hornets in the first game after the All-Star break and got this critical stretch of the season out to a great start. While it seemed like the Rockets might have been in trouble in the first half, Houston made a change for the better in the second quarter and saw the momentum shift.

For the Rockets to pull out some big wins over quality teams, adjustments will need to be made on both sides of the ball. While superstar forward Kevin Durant was the story of the game with 35 points in 36 minutes on 70% shooting along with eight rebounds and four assists, it was his defense that was a unique factor.

It was all set up once the Rockets went to their small ball lineup. Center Alperen Sengun was taken out temporarily, and Dorian Finney-Smith was brought in off the bench alongside players like Reed Sheppard who got some good minutes. It opened up the game for Houston.

The Rockets generally keep Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Tari Eason on the floor in this lineup. Although it’s a “small ball” lineup, there is no player shorter than 6-foot-7, making this an elite defensive group as well.

After the high-scoring first quarter, the Rockets went to their small ball lineup and were continuously switching on defense. Head coach Ime Udoka mentioned the spacing on the floor was really good for their players. It made a massive difference on both offense and defense.

A Winning Run

#Rockets beat the Hornets 105-101 #AllFire

Kevin Durant
🏀35 PTS🏀8 REB🏀3 BLK🏀

KD talked with @SportsVanessa after the @HoustonRockets WIN pic.twitter.com/p62ezFidpi
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) February 20, 2026

“I think we won this game really at the end of the second quarter. We were able to go small ball, get some stops, get out and run,” Durant said.

The Slim Reaper did his thing on the offensive end in arguably KD’s best performance of the season so far. The reason it might’ve been the best was the plays on both sides of the ball alongside only one turnover.

KD had three blocks and a steal in this game for a strong defensive effort.

“In the first quarter, we were trapping three guys in the pick and roll, so they were going to have a lot of spacing in that lane to get layups. So, Bari, me, Tari, we just tried to come over there and make plays. I was able to get my hands on a couple of basketballs,” Durant said.

The Rockets only gave up 19 points in the second quarter and scored 29 of their own. The small ball lineup gave Houston the 17-2 run that was needed to take control of the game. It set up Durant on defense, and he delivered on both sides of the ball big time for this impressive win.

Without Sengun in the game, Durant ended up being one of the primary rim protectors during that stretch, and it was a different look, but certainly effective. He put up a nice block on Brandon Miller, who was looking to create a highlight.

The Rockets moved up to third temporarily in the Western Conference after this win, but are currently locked in a tight battle with the Denver Nuggets to round out the top four.