Kevin Durant leads Rockets to convincing win over Nuggets

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) talks with head coach Ime Udoka during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard lead Rockets to convincing win over Nuggets

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 11:52 PM ET

Just one game after blowing a massive first-half lead, the Houston Rockets bounced back in a major way with a 115-101 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Kevin Durant led the charge

The massive win for Houston was headlined by a star performance from the legendary Kevin Durant.

Durant poured in 31 points, his third game in December with 30-plus points. He also knocked down eight of 14 shots from the field, five of six three-pointers and 10-of-11 free throws.

The five threes made for Durant were his most in a game this season.

Kevin Durant catch & shoot 3 + celebrating all the way down the court lmfao pic.twitter.com/F6FcqoNsFC
— Rockets Clips (@Rockets_Clips) December 21, 2025

Reed Sheppard's standout performance

Houston had a second player with a stellar game, and that was guard Reed Sheppard. He scored 28 points, his most in a game since Nov. 26 against the Golden State Warriors.

Sheppard has come on strong in his second year in the NBA, as he is averaging 12.8 points per game and shooting 42.8% from three-point range. Sheppard is a threat to get hot at any given moment of the game, making him a real third option behind both Durant and Alperen Sengun.

Standings and what lies ahead

After the win Saturday, Houston sits at the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and three games ahead of the first Play-In Tournament spot.

The upcoming schedule for the Rockets includes winnable games against both the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Clippers. Wins in both of those games would make Houston feel good before a primetime showdown on Christmas Night against LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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