The regular season battle continued as Houston suffered a 99–111 home defeat after being overturned by San Antonio, a game that many fans following basketball alongside Crickex Affiliate updates found frustrating to watch. Fresh off a comeback win in their previous outing, the Rockets experienced a familiar late-game collapse, this time becoming the side that gave up control in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant finished with 24 points overall, but managed only four in the final period, a quiet close that summed up Houston’s night.
Houston have recently benefited from the pairing of Durant and Alperen Sengun, forming a reliable dual-core foundation. That chemistry was on full display just one game earlier, when both stars poured in 33 points apiece to lead a 108–99 comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies. That performance raised expectations, suggesting the Rockets were turning a corner rather than falling back into old habits.
Facing the Spurs at home, Durant wasted no time making history. He knocked down an early three-pointer, pushing his career total to 2,291 and moving past Vince Carter into tenth place on the NBA’s all-time list. Riding the momentum of that milestone, Durant controlled both scoring and playmaking through the first half. In just 16 minutes, he went 6-of-11 from the field for 13 points, added four assists, and posted a positive plus-minus, keeping Houston firmly in control.
Before tip-off, the Rockets were dealt another blow when Steven Adams underwent left ankle surgery and was ruled out for the season, following Fred VanVleet onto the injury list. Against a Spurs team built around Victor Wembanyama’s height, Sengun and Clint Capela were tasked with holding the paint. They delivered early, matching Wembanyama on both ends. Sengun impressed with footwork and touch, even converting a hook shot through contact, while Capela timed a crucial help rotation to reject a dunk attempt, moments that energized the crowd.
Houston dominated the first half, shooting close to 50 percent while forcing seven steals that disrupted San Antonio’s rhythm. Wembanyama filled the stat sheet efficiently, but his teammates were largely contained. After halftime, however, the Spurs raised their intensity, finding offensive flow and placing five players in double figures by the end of the third quarter. A deficit that once reached 16 points vanished as San Antonio took the lead for the first time.
By the fourth quarter, momentum had fully swung. San Antonio opened with an 11–0 run, and when Durant tried to stop the bleeding with a pull-up jumper, Wembanyama calmly swatted it away. Houston finally scored on free throws, but the mental block lingered. Over the first six minutes, the Rockets produced just four points and a single made field goal. In the end, supporters tracking the outcome through Crickex Affiliate feeds could only watch as another collapse played out, reinforcing the sense of a team trapped in a frustrating cycle.