HOUSTON — Kevin Durant had 18 points and moved into sixth place on the NBA’s career points list, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored a season-high 32 points as the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 119-110 Sunday (Monday in Manila).
Alperen Sengun had 21 points and eight rebounds and Amen Thompson finished with 20 points as Houston won for the third time in four games.
Trey Murphy III scored 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting and Zion Williamson had 20 points and six rebounds. Derik Queen finished with 15 points for the Pelicans, who lost for the fourth time in five games and 13th time in 15 games.
With 15.2 seconds left in the game, Durant stepped to the free throw line needing one point to pass Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki (31,560 points) on the NBA’s scoring list. The 15-time All-Star made two free throws and received a standing ovation from the home crowd. Durant now has 31,562 career points. Michael Jordan is fifth on the list at 32,292.
When the game was over, a special video message was played on the jumbotron with Dirk Nowitzki congratulating Durant.
Smith, who had 22 points in the first half, bounced back from a 3-for-12 shooting performance in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Against the Pelicans, he shot 11 for 21 and had a career-high seven 3-pointers.
Houston’s Steven Adams had to be helped off the court in the fourth quarter with an apparent left ankle injury. Adams, who missed a few games earlier this season with a right ankle injury, had 10 rebounds and five points before leaving the game with just under 10 minutes left in the final quarter.
Grizzlies 126, Magic 109
In London, Ja Morant had 24 points and 13 assists in his return to the lineup to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to victory over the Orlando Magic in the first NBA regular-season game in London since 2019.
Jock Landale added 21 points and 8 rebounds and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 17 points as Memphis avenged its 118-111 loss to Orlando in Berlin on Thursday in the first of their European doubleheader.
Orlando trailed by 33 points in the first half before reducing the deficit to 17 on Paolo Banchero’s 3-pointer to make it 108-91 with 8:15 left in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies closed it out from there.
Anthony Black led the Magic with 19 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 18 points and 7 rebounds. Banchero finished with 16 on 7 of 20 shooting. He also had 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
Morant had missed six games because of a right calf injury and provided an immediate spark for a Grizzlies team that had lost seven of nine. The two-time All Star started and had 20 points and 10 assists in the first half.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said in pregame comments that Morant would be on a minutes restriction. The star logged 28:24 minutes overall.
Magic forward Franz Wagner had 14 points in his second game back since missing five weeks with a high ankle sprain. Orlando was 10 of 33 from behind the arc.
The game at London’s O2 Arena was the 10th regular-season game in the English capital. The first one was March 4, 2011.