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Rockets news: Kevin Durant joins historic company with big game vs. Clippers
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- Rockets news: Kevin Durant joins historic company with big game vs. Clippers
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The Houston Rockets have been one of the most exciting stories in the Western Conference this season, and a big reason for that has been the steady, lethal scoring of Kevin Durant .
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On Tuesday night at the Toyota Center, fans witnessed more than just a regular-season clash against the Los Angeles Clippers ; they saw history in the making. Durant officially recorded his 1,000th career game with 20 or more points, joining a list of names that basically serves as the Mount Rushmore of NBA buckets.
Entering the night, Durant was just one game away from the four-digit milestone. He hit the mark with a signature mid-range jumper during a heated third quarter, cementing his place alongside LeBron James , Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
To put that in perspective, Durant is now one of only four players to ever touch that level of scoring consistency. James currently leads the pack with 1,309 such games, followed by Malone at 1,134 and Abdul-Jabbar at 1,122.
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The game itself lived up to the hype of a battle between Western Conference contenders. As the contest passed the midway point of the second half, the Houston Rockets held an 89-77 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers .
Durant led the way for Houston, crossing the 20-point threshold early to ensure the record was tucked away while the game was still very much in the balance. He received plenty of help from Alperen Sengun, who also had 20+ points, dominated the glass, and facilitated from the high post, while Jabari Smith Jr. hit a couple of timely triples to keep the defense honest.
On the other side, Kawhi Leonard tried to keep the Clippers within striking distance with 24 points of his own, but the Rockets' defense is proving difficult to solve. Houston has developed a reputation for being stout on that end of the floor this year, and they used that energy to fuel their transition game.
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