Overview
- Durant was ruled out against Indiana with a left ankle sprain on the official injury report, and Udoka said the sprain came when he stepped on a fan’s foot.
- Alperen Sengun tied his season high with 39 points and added 16 rebounds and five assists in a 118-114 road win.
- Houston, also without Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet, overwhelmed Indiana on the glass with 19 offensive rebounds and a 23-board advantage, converting 30 second-chance points.
- A key late sequence saw Sengun miss two free throws, secure his own offensive rebound, and set up Amen Thompson, whose free throw with 3.8 seconds left sealed the game.
- Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points and Bennedict Mathurin had 25, while Houston logged its third straight victory and fifth in six games; no longer-term update on Durant’s recovery was provided.