Despite the Houston Rockets' recent troubles with closing out games, Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. led their team in a 126-119 win against the Indiana Pacers. Durant (30 points) and Smith Jr. combined for 51 points on 21-of-36 attempts, including 16 rebounds and seven assists, as Smith Jr. secured a double-double against the Pacers.
After the win, Durant revealed how he's been helping Smith Jr. unlock his offense, per Rockets sideline reporter Vanessa Richardson.
“We're going to need that moving forward. Me & Bari have talked a lot about us taking the shots we want to take, not letting the defense dictate what we do out there, and using our length, using our size to get shots off,” Durant said. “Bari has just been tough to stop down in that post, knocking down those threes, doing everything for us. So, we're going to need that from him.”
Kevin Durant on Jabari Smith Jr:
“Me & Bari have talked a lot about us taking the shots we want to take, not letting the defense dictate what we do out there, using our length and our size to get shots off…”
Truly cool that Bari is learning from KD. pic.twitter.com/D8BjrLpNox
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) December 30, 2025
The Rockets have won three consecutive games.
Kevin Durant says he's ‘mastered the game' in all-time ranking
Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant believes he's mastered his game in his first season with the Rockets. However, Durant is still focused on adding another championship to his legacy, he said, per Undefeated.
“I feel like I’ve mastered the game and that should be the only goal for every player,” Durant said. “I don’t give a f*** about Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, what they’ve done in comparison to me. The standard that they set, I want to reach that. As far as longevity, relevance, impact on the game, impact on the city. Championships, I want that too.”
The Rockets improved to 20-10, which is the third-best record in the Western Conference, trailing the Nuggets by one game.
