Kevin Durant scored 32 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a 111-104 road win over the Detroit Pistons in a matchup of top NBA playoff contenders on Friday night.

Durant reached the 30-point mark for the second consecutive game and the third time in his past five games.

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After the two teams were tied at 52 at halftime, the Rockets outscored the Pistons 34-20 in the third quarter with Reed Sheppard tallying 10 points during the surge.

Detroit went on an 11-1 run powered by five points from Isaiah Stewart during the first two minutes of the fourth. That closed the margin to 87-83. But a 3-pointer by Jabari Smith Jr. steadied Houston and Alperen Şengün followed with a jumper to restore the lead to 92-83.

The Pistons cut the deficit to 94-91 on 3-pointers from Ronald Holland II and Daniss Jenkins. But the Rockets again kept Detroit at a distance with Amen Thompson and Durant knocking down jumpers to stop another Pistons run. A corner 3-pointer from Josh Okogie with 5:19 remaining in the fourth quarter was effectively the knockout blow, giving Houston a 101-93 lead. Detroit could not cut the deficit to below six points from there.

Şengün added 19 points for the Rockets while Sheppard finished with 18. Thompson scored 15 points with nine rebounds, and Smith grabbed 10 boards.

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The Pistons got only 12 points from Cade Cunningham, who shot 5 of 13 (including 0 for 4 on 3s) from the floor. The All-Star starter tallied eight assists, but countered that with a game-high six turnovers. Jalen Duran led Detroit with 18 points, also grabbing 7 rebounds. Stewart scored 16 off the bench, while Holland added 13.

With the win, Houston rebounded from an overtime loss at Philadelphia on Thursday and finished a two-game road trip. The Rockets (27-16) have won five of their past seven games to keep a hold on the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings. The Phoenix Suns fell to the No. 5 seed with Friday’s 110-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

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Up next for the Rockets is a two-game homestand, playing host to the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs (31-14).

Detroit drops to 32-11 with the defeat. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Pistons. But they have still won eight of their last 11 games.

The Pistons play the Sacramento Kings (12-34) on Sunday before beginning a three-game Western road trip versus the Golden State Warriors (25-21) on Tuesday.