February 26, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic’s guard Anthony Black (0) scores against Houston Rockets’ center Alferen Sengun (28) in the first quarter held at the Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Image Kevin Durant scored 40 points Thursday night to help the visiting Houston Rockets to a 113-108 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Reed Shepherd added 20 points and made five 3-pointers for Houston, which spurred a comeback after falling behind by 19 points in the third quarter and going on a 21-0 run. Alperen Sengun scored 16 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 13 for the Rockets, who have won their third straight game.
Desmond Bane led Orlando with 30 points, while Paolo Banchero totaled 19 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds. Wendell Carter Jr. scored 16 points and Jevon Carter had 14 in the loss.
Orlando held a 10-point lead at halftime and expanded it to 15 on Tristan da Silva’s triple at 5:42 of the third. After Banchero’s four straight points extended the lead to 19 points, Sheppard hit three 3-pointers as Houston went on a 21-0 run to give the Rockets a 78-76 advantage.
Josh Okogie followed up on third with a trey to give the visitors an 81-80 lead heading into the final quarter.
Bane’s back-to-back goals gave Orlando a five-point cushion with 6:33 left in the fourth, and Durant’s individual 5-0 run put the score at 97 apiece.
After Carter hit a pair of free throws with 3:23 left to put Orlando up by one point, back-to-back layups by Sengun and Shepherd’s fourth triple gave Houston a 106-100 advantage at the 1:53 mark.
Orlando had a chance to cut the deficit to one point, but Sheppard’s 3-pointer with 22.7 seconds left followed by an Anthony Black turnover.
After Shepherd’s jumper gave Houston a 20-19 lead, the Magic closed the opening quarter on a 10-2 run, and Bane’s 3-pointer gave Orlando a 29-22 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Rockets missed their first four shots from behind the arc before Dorian Finney-Smith’s triple cut Houston’s deficit to four with 11:01 left in the first half.
Durant’s floater got the Rockets back within four points, but Banchero’s three-point play started an 8-0 Magic run that put them ahead 45-33.
Bain succeeded in all five 3-point shots in the first half and led all scorers with 17 points. Durant scored the final eight points of the first half for Houston, which trailed 53-43 at halftime.
–Field level media
