Houston Rockets (51-29) beat Philadelphia 76ers (43-37) 113-102 at home on Thursday, April 9, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets had the better start, winning the first 35-26 to lead by 9 after one. The Rockets kept the pressure on with a 38-30 second quarter, carrying a 17-point lead into halftime.
The Rockets won the third 23-17 to create some separation, taking a 23-point lead into the fourth. The 76ers took the fourth 29-17; the Rockets held on for a 113-102 regulation win.
What decided it
The Rockets grabbed 30.8% of their own misses, while the 76ers recovered 22.9%. The Rockets took better care of the ball, turning it over on 14.5% of possessions compared with 16% for the 76ers. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 102 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 111 points per 100 possessions to 100.2 for the 76ers.
The 76ers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 35-23.
Who made the difference
Kevin Durant was the game's biggest individual force for HOU: 29 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast on 10-18 shooting. His Game Score of 22.6 led everyone. His team was +17 with him on the floor.
VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 20 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast on 7-17 shooting, good for a 16.7 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Rockets about a 77% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Houston Rockets lead 2-1.
The Rockets are now 51-29, and the 76ers are 43-37. The Rockets last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.