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Tari Eason dominates on both ends of court as Rockets rally past Kevin Durant, Suns
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- Tari Eason dominates on both ends of court as Rockets rally past Kevin Durant, Suns
HOUSTON -- In one of the best games of his young NBA career, third-year forward Tari Eason poured in 25 points (68.8% FG, 60.0% on 3-pointers), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals as the Rockets rallied past the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, 119-111 ( box score ).
Houston (34-20) outscored Phoenix (26-28) in a dominant fourth quarter, 35-19. With the win, the Rockets moved back to No. 4 in the Western Conference standings , which would put them in position to hold home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs.
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Kevin Durant led the Suns, who were without Devin Booker due to a back injury, with an extremely efficient 37 points (68% FG) and 9 assists. Phoenix led by as many as 11 points in the second half.
Beyond Eason, other standouts for the Rockets included:
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Amen Thompson : 18 points (53.8% FG), 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
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Alperen Sengun : 17 points (58.3% FG), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
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Jalen Green : 22 points (38.1% FG), 5 assists
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Dillon Brooks : 18 points, 3 assists; 4-of-9 on 3-pointers (44.4%)
For Thompson, it was his fourth career triple-double in under two professional seasons. Brooks' 3-point avalanche included two makes in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the Rockets put the game away.
Brooks, Thompson, Eason, and Sengun all had at least two steals, which forced Phoenix into 17 turnovers. That included a game-high seven from Durant, who the Rockets increasingly forced the ball away from as the second half progressed.
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Even with the win, Houston was again short-handed , with multiple members of its usual starting lineup still sidelined by injury. Jabari Smith Jr. has now missed more than a month with a fractured left hand, while Fred VanVleet has sat out the last five-plus games with a right ankle strain. The hope for the Rockets is that both will only miss one more game, since Thursday's game versus Golden State is the last before an extended hiatus for the NBA's 2025 All-Star break.
Both could be back in the lineup when the Rockets resume play on Friday, Feb. 21.
Feb. 12 Rockets-Suns Complete Highlights
Feb. 12 Postgame Reaction and Interviews
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What's Next
The Rockets will play their final game before the 2025 All-Star break when Golden State (27-27) visits Toyota Center on Thursday night. That game, which also concludes this week's three-game homestand, tips off at 7:00 p.m. Central.
More: Rockets coach Ime Udoka sees potential Steven Adams-Alperen Sengun lineups as situational
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Tari Eason dominates as Rockets rally past Kevin Durant, Suns
