Wednesday’s home exhibition was the first time for Kevin Durant (20 points in 23 minutes, 70% FG) to play for the Rockets at Toyota Center, and both he and the fans made it memorable.
It was only a preseason game, but Wednesday’s home exhibition was the first time for Kevin Durant to wear a Houston Rockets jersey while playing basketball in front of his new fan base at Toyota Center.
While on limited minutes, Durant’s appearance certainly did not disappoint in Houston’s 140-127 victory (box score) over the visiting Utah Jazz. The Rockets are now 2-0 in preseason play.
“You can see the potential in this team,” said Durant, who finished with 20 points in 23 minutes while making 7-of-10 shots (50.0%), 1-of-2 from 3-point range (50.0%), and all five of his free throws.
As expected, Durant put up those numbers while receiving a hero’s welcome from fans excited to welcome a 15-time NBA All-Star, former Most Valuable Player (MVP), and two-time champion to their community. Today, even at 37 years old, Durant remains among the game’s elite scorers.
For the Rockets, other statistics of note included:
Alperen Sengun: 13 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals in 28 minutes; 5-of-8 shooting (62.5%), 3-of-3 on free throwsAmen Thompson: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals in 25 minutes; 9-of-15 shooting (60.0%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointersJabari Smith Jr.: 18 points, 3 rebounds in 24 minutes; 7-of-11 shooting (63.6%), 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%)Reed Sheppard: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks in 26 minutes; 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
Highlights and postgame interviews are available below.
For the Jazz, rookie guard Ace Bailey led the way with 25 points and 6 rebounds while making 11-of-16 shots (68.8%) and 2-of-5 from 3-point range (40.0%). Brice Sensabaugh added 24 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting (60.0%) from 3-point range.
Durant’s next Toyota Center playing appearance will come on Friday, Oct. 24, versus the Detroit Pistons. That game is the second of Houston’s 2025-26 regular season schedule, and the first at home.
As for exhibition play, the Rockets will resume their preseason slate next Tuesday with a neutral-site game in Birmingham, Alabama, versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
“It was fun, just him as a release valve, every time I wanted an assist I just threw it to him “
–Amen Thompson after playing his 1st game with Kevin Durant
Amen in the #Rockets 140-127 win vs Utah:
19 PTS🏀7 REB🏀6 AST🏀2 STL🏀BLK@HoustonRockets on SCHN pic.twitter.com/reSX89SB2R
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) October 9, 2025