HOUSTON (AP) \u2014 Kevin Durant scored 25 points and the Houston Rockets won their fifth straight game, beating the Utah Jazz 140-106 on Friday night.<\/p>\n
Durant shot 8 of 12 from the field and added five assists. It was the 45th time this season he’s scored 20 or more points while shooting 50% or better. That\u2019s second among NBA players behind Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has done it 47 times.<\/p>\n
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Amen Thompson had 21 points and Alperen Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets (48-29), who clinched a playoff spot Thursday. They are a game behind Denver for fourth place in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
Cody Williams led the Jazz with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but they shot just 5 of 27 from behind the 3-point line.<\/p>\n
Utah (21-57) has lost eight consecutive games and 12 of 13.<\/p>\n
Houston scored the first five points and never trailed. Tari Eason capped an 11-3 run with less than three minutes left in the first quarter to push the lead to 10, and the Rockets led by 12 after 12 minutes.<\/p>\n
Utah scored the first five points of the second, but the Rockets answered with a 12-2 burst to push their lead to 17. The margin grew to 23 before Houston took a 19-point lead into halftime.<\/p>\n
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The Jazz whittled the lead down to 14, but the Rockets used a 19-4 run in the final 3:20 of the period to take a 29-point advantage into the fourth.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Jazz: At the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Rockets: At the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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