Houston Rockets held off a late surge to beat the Washington Wizards 123–118 in D.C., powered by a dominant Alperen Sengun–Kevin Durant one‑two punch and a wild Trae Young ejection in the third quarter. For Sportsphere24, this was a win that showed both Houston’s ceiling and its occasional chaos.
Sengun and Durant dominate the matchup
Alperen Sengun was the centerpiece, finishing with 32 points and 13 rebounds as he picked apart Washington inside. He scored on post‑ups, touch shots, and rolls to the rim, repeatedly exploiting mismatches and soft help defense. Every time the Wizards threatened to make it interesting, Sengun answered with a strong finish or a trip to the free‑throw line.
Kevin Durant provided the perfect perimeter complement, dropping 30 points with his usual mix of pull‑ups, drives, and trips to the line. He poured in 11 points in the third quarter alone as Houston’s lead ballooned to 18, then helped steady the offense again when Washington made its late push. The NBA.com box score shows how both stars combined for efficient scoring nights that anchored a 123‑point road output.
Trae Young ejected in third‑quarter dust‑up
The game’s biggest flashpoint came midway through the third quarter, when a confrontation between Houston’s Tari Eason and Washington’s Jamir Watkins spilled over near the Rockets’ bench. Trae Young left the bench area during the altercation, which by rule led to his ejection after review. Eason was also tossed, abruptly removing two key rotation players and adding extra emotion to a game Houston already controlled.
Up to that point, Young had helped organize Houston’s offense and pressure Washington’s guards, so his absence forced more on‑ball responsibility onto Thompson and Durant. The Rockets responded with composure, using a steady diet of Sengun post touches and Durant pick‑and‑rolls to keep the Wizards at arm’s length through most of the second half.
Wizards’ hot shooting and furious fourth
Washington’s shooting kept them alive, especially early. The Wizards went 12‑for‑19 from three in the first half, but just 6‑for‑28 inside the arc, which allowed Houston to build a 60–51 lead by halftime despite the barrage from deep. Once the Rockets tightened their closeouts and protected the paint better, that efficiency dipped and the gap widened.
In the fourth quarter, Washington exploded for 38 points to make the final score closer than the game felt for long stretches. They chipped a 19‑point deficit down into single digits with transition buckets and late threes, forcing Houston to bring its starters back to close the door. Still, the Wizards’ inability to balance their outside shooting with consistent rim pressure ultimately cost them a chance to fully flip the game.
Rockets steady late to secure key road win
Despite the noise—the ejections, the hot shooting, and the fourth‑quarter push—Houston closed the game like a seasoned group. Durant and Sengun controlled late possessions, Thompson added timely scoring, and the Rockets hit enough free throws to keep Washington from getting one final chance to tie. The 123–118 victory pushed Houston to 38–22 and kept them firmly in the upper tier of the Western Conference playoff race.
For Washington, now 16–44, this game encapsulated their season: stretches of exciting offense and competitive spirit undone by defensive lapses and interior inefficiency. For Sportsphere24 readers, it’s another data point in Sengun’s rise as a legitimate offensive hub and a reminder that even in a game with chaos and ejections, the Rockets’ star power can still carry them over the line.