Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard fly Rockets past Kings

Alperen Sengun recorded his third triple-double of the season, and Reed Sheppard scored a game-high 28 points while making only his seventh start as the Houston Rockets cruised to a 128-97 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Sengun posted 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists while Sheppard drilled a career-high seven 3-pointers, starting in place of Amen Thompson (quad). Kevin Durant tallied 21 points.

The Rockets shot 55% from the floor and converted 17 of 39 3-pointers against the Kings, who snapped a franchise-worst 16-game losing skid against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Russell Westbrook paced the Kings with 22 points. DeMar DeRozan added 15 points and seven assists while Nique Clifford posted 15 points off the bench. The Kings missed 24 of 31 3s.

Westbrook singlehandedly kept the Kings afloat for the bulk of the opening period. He scored 10 of their first 12 points and upped his individual total to 17 points with a three-point play at the 2:20 mark that shaved the deficit to 26-22.

However, the rest of the Kings shot 1 for 10 in the first quarter, and the Rockets bridged the opening two frames with a 15-0 run following the Westbrook three-point play. Sheppard drilled a pair of 3-pointers early in the second quarter, the second capping the run and lifting the Rockets to a 41-22 lead with 10:25 remaining in the first half.

The Rockets methodically pulled away from that juncture, securing their first 20-point lead at 49-29 on another Sheppard 3 at the 8:04 mark. When Durant sank an 18-footer with 17 seconds to play in the half, the Rockets seized a 77-47 advantage.

The Kings fashioned one last surge early in the third quarter, using a 16-4 run that started with a Clifford 3 just before the intermission to cut the deficit to 16 points. But the Rockets closed that period with an 18-2 blitz capped by a Sengun dunk that extended the Houston lead to 108-76.

Sengun notched his 10th assist on an Aaron Holiday 3-pointer with 1:35 left in the third quarter.