One result from last season that the Houston Rockets were anxious to adjust was Kevin Durant finishing second in the NBA in minutes played in his 18th season.
In their 120-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the Rockets displayed their superior depth and their waning dependence on Durant. Houston, which will play the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, pulled away from the Hawks in the fourth quarter with Durant on the bench.
“We had a great lineup out there that had some great momentum,” said Durant, who totaled 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in only 30 minutes. “Coaches are always looking to get me some extra minutes of rest on the bench. If the unit that’s in the game is rolling, I’m all for just sitting over there and supporting them and being ready when my number is called.”
The Rockets extended a six-point lead entering the final period to 117-95 with 4:44 left to play, all while Durant watched from the sideline. Center Alperen Sengun anchored a group that included guards Fred VanVleet and Reed Sheppard, and forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, a unit that played so well on both ends of the court that Durant was allowed to rest and cheer.
“Obviously, we’d like to get his minutes down,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It’s great when we can have the luxury of a group out there doing what they did, a selfless group that doesn’t care who’s really getting it done as long as we’re getting it done.”
Expectations were low for the Bucks entering this season following the offseason trade of franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo. After dropping their first three games by an average of 10 points, the Bucks seemed to confirm that season-long struggles were ahead.
But a fourth-quarter rally on Monday gave the Bucks a 110-102 home win over the Indiana Pacers, helping them avoid their first 0-4 start since the 1976-77 season. It also marked the first victory for coach Taylor Jenkins, who is in his first season in Milwaukee after being fired by Memphis with only nine games remaining in the 2024-25 campaign.
“Still more to clean up, but just really proud of the group,” Jenkins said. “(An) 0-3 (start to the season) settles in, and you’re down 11 at halftime. We came out and had the right intensity.
“Awesome to get the first win and to share it with a special group. This isn’t about me. This is about the organization, this is about the team, about my coaching staff. It’s about those players that, despite three tough starts to the season, came out at home and found a way to grind it out.”
The Bucks might develop an advantage with their center rotation of Myles Turner and Kel’el Ware. Turner posted nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks against his former team while Ware scored 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
“Those guys did it in different ways,” Jenkins said of Turner and Ware. “Just really proud of the growth that they’re making, trying to still figure out our defensive system and still making an impact.
“They’ve got more from growth, and I know they’re excited about what imprint they can make on the defensive side for us.”
