Durant’s return steers Houston to a 28-point dub over Utah

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Kevin Durant made up for his two-game absence and led the Houston Rockets to a dominant victory over the Utah Jazz, 129-101, in the ongoing NBA regular season on Dec. 1, 2025.

After missing back-to-back scheduled games due to personal matters, Durant finally returned to the lineup, picking up where he left off by dropping 25 points built from an efficient 10-of-14 shooting from the field.

Court rust was never an issue for the 18-year NBA superstar as he set the tone from the get-go, torching the Jazz with his signature perimeter jump shot game.

It was evident that Houston head coach Ime Udoka wanted the team to set up Durant early to help him regain his touch and in-court feel, but it seemed the scoring machine had already settled in, coming back as if he never left.

Durant’s early explosion helped the Rockets jump ahead after the first 12 minutes of action, 30-21, and he further added damage in the following quarter once his three-point shooting clicked.

Backstopped by the paint prowess of Alperen Sengun, the duo spearheaded a 37-27 second-quarter offensive run to cap off the first half with a 19-point advantage, 67-48.

Despite Utah’s defensive adjustment of forcing Durant to the elbow instead of his sweet spot at the top of the key, the Jazz failed to pick their poison wisely as Sengun operated at will inside the shaded lane.

Due to the Jazz’s primary focus on stopping Durant, the blocks beside the paint began to open, paving the way for Sengun to attack Utah’s frontcourt rotation, alongside Jabari Smith.

Utah’s defensive lapses helped the Rockets mount their largest lead of the game — as much as 37 points in the third quarter — while also scoring their worst frame of the game with only 20 points.

With nothing going for the Utah mob, Will Hardy decided to throw in the towel with nine minutes of basketball still left to be played.

Durant missed only a single attempt from the three-point line out of four total attempts, while also stuffing the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.

Meanwhile, Sengun top-scored the game with 27 markers derived from 10-of-15 shooting from the field, alongside five dimes and four boards.

Houston will gun for its fourth straight victory today — still against the Jazz — in a Western Conference rematch at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.