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01/18 21:00 CST Durant passes Nowitzki for 6th place on NBA career scoring list
as Rockets beat Pelicans 119-110
Durant passes Nowitzki for 6th place on NBA career scoring list as Rockets beat
Pelicans 119-110
By JOSHUA KOCH
Associated Press
HOUSTON (AP) --- Kevin Durant had 18 points and moved into sixth place on the
NBA's career points list, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored a season-high 32 points
as the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-110 Sunday night.
Alperen Sengun had 21 points and eight rebounds and Amen Thompson finished with
20 points as Houston won for the third time in four games.
Trey Murphy III scored 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting and Zion Williamson had
20 points and six rebounds. Derik Queen finished with 15 points for the
Pelicans, who lost for the fourth time in five games and 13th time in 15 games.
With 15.2 seconds left in the game, Durant stepped to the free throw line
needing one point to pass Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki (31,560 points) on the
NBA's scoring list. The 15-time All-Star made two free throws and received a
standing ovation from the home crowd. Durant now has 31,562 career points.
Michael Jordan is fifth on the list at 32,292.
When the game was over, a special video message was played on the jumbotron
with Dirk Nowitzki congratulating Durant.
Smith, who had 22 points in the first half, bounced back from a 3-for-12
shooting performance in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Against the Pelicans, he shot 11 for 21 and had a career-high seven 3-pointers.
Houston's Steven Adams had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter
with an apparent left ankle injury. Adams, who missed a few games earlier this
season with a right ankle injury, had 10 rebounds and five points before
leaving the game with just under 10 minutes left in the final quarter.
Up next Pelicans: Host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. Rockets: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba |
