Kevin Durant scored 31 points and made a tiebreaking basket with 1:42 remaining to put the Houston Rockets ahead for good in a 122-115 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.Houston bounced back from a 121-110 loss at San Antonio two nights earlier as it ended a three-game trip. The Rockets, who have won six of their last seven, are now at home for their next three games.Durant shot 11 of 15 from the floor and had a season-high seven assists. Alperen Sengun had 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Jabari Smith and Reed Sheppard added 16 points each.Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and eight rebounds for Milwaukee, but went 1 of 4 from the foul line in the game’s final 89 seconds. The Bucks ended up shooting 14 of 24 from the line.Ryan Rollins scored 19 for Milwaukee.The Rockets trailed most of the way before outscoring the Bucks 22-7 over the last 4 minutes, 33 seconds.Smith gave the Rockets a 113-111 advantage — their first lead since the opening period — when he hit a 3-pointer with 1:42 left on an assist from Durant. Rollins answered 25 seconds later with a driving layup that tied the game.Durant then hit a pull-up jumper to put Houston back in front with 1:42 left. Antetokounmpo had a chance to tie it when he got fouled with 1:29 remaining, but missed both free throws.Sengun then made a basket to extend Houston’s lead to 117-113 with 1:09 remaining. Antetokounmpo hit the first of two free throws with 38 seconds left to get the Bucks within three, but he missed his second attempt.Sengun then made a driving layup while getting fouled and completed the three-point play with 23 seconds left.Up NextRockets: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.Bucks: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.Victor Oladipo joins Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League affiliateTwo-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who hasn’t played in the NBA since suffering a major injury in 2023, has joined the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate.The Wisconsin Herd announced Sunday they had added the 33-year-old Oladipo to their roster. The Herd acquired Oladipo from the Santa Cruz Warriors after he had entered the NBA G League’s player pool.Oladipo tore his left patellar tendon while playing for the Miami Heat in a 2023 first-round playoff series with the Bucks. Oladipo hasn’t been in the NBA since, though he appeared in some NBA preseason games this year while playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Loong-Lions.Oladipo earned consecutive All-Star Game selections in 2018 and 2019 while playing for the Indiana Pacers. He has averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists during an NBA career that included stints with the Orlando Magic (2013-16), Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-17), Pacers (2017-21), Houston Rockets (2021) and Heat (2021-23).The Magic selected Oladipo out of Indiana with the second overall pick in the 2013 draft.
MILWAUKEE —
Kevin Durant scored 31 points and made a tiebreaking basket with 1:42 remaining to put the Houston Rockets ahead for good in a 122-115 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Houston bounced back from a 121-110 loss at San Antonio two nights earlier as it ended a three-game trip. The Rockets, who have won six of their last seven, are now at home for their next three games.
Durant shot 11 of 15 from the floor and had a season-high seven assists. Alperen Sengun had 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Jabari Smith and Reed Sheppard added 16 points each.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 37 points and eight rebounds for Milwaukee, but went 1 of 4 from the foul line in the game’s final 89 seconds. The Bucks ended up shooting 14 of 24 from the line.
Ryan Rollins scored 19 for Milwaukee.
The Rockets trailed most of the way before outscoring the Bucks 22-7 over the last 4 minutes, 33 seconds.
Smith gave the Rockets a 113-111 advantage — their first lead since the opening period — when he hit a 3-pointer with 1:42 left on an assist from Durant. Rollins answered 25 seconds later with a driving layup that tied the game.
Durant then hit a pull-up jumper to put Houston back in front with 1:42 left. Antetokounmpo had a chance to tie it when he got fouled with 1:29 remaining, but missed both free throws.
Sengun then made a basket to extend Houston’s lead to 117-113 with 1:09 remaining. Antetokounmpo hit the first of two free throws with 38 seconds left to get the Bucks within three, but he missed his second attempt.
Sengun then made a driving layup while getting fouled and completed the three-point play with 23 seconds left.
Up Next
Rockets: Host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Bucks: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Victor Oladipo joins Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate
Two-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who hasn’t played in the NBA since suffering a major injury in 2023, has joined the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League affiliate.
The Wisconsin Herd announced Sunday they had added the 33-year-old Oladipo to their roster. The Herd acquired Oladipo from the Santa Cruz Warriors after he had entered the NBA G League’s player pool.
Oladipo tore his left patellar tendon while playing for the Miami Heat in a 2023 first-round playoff series with the Bucks. Oladipo hasn’t been in the NBA since, though he appeared in some NBA preseason games this year while playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Guangzhou Loong-Lions.
Oladipo earned consecutive All-Star Game selections in 2018 and 2019 while playing for the Indiana Pacers. He has averaged 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists during an NBA career that included stints with the Orlando Magic (2013-16), Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-17), Pacers (2017-21), Houston Rockets (2021) and Heat (2021-23).
The Magic selected Oladipo out of Indiana with the second overall pick in the 2013 draft.