Kevin Durant scored 24 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 119-105 comeback win over his former team, the Phoenix Suns, on Tuesday, eliminating the Suns from automatic playoff contention in the Western Conference.
Phoenix built a 21-point lead in the first quarter, but Houston outscored the Suns 38-21 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Durant, traded from Phoenix to Houston last year, received a mix of boos and cheers from Suns fans during the game.
“They hit us with a good punch early on… I love how we weathered the storm and stayed together,” Durant said.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves secured the final Western Conference playoff spot with a 124-104 win over the Indiana Pacers. Minnesota led early and extended its advantage to as many as 31 points in the fourth quarter. Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points, with Julius Randle and Bones Hyland adding 19 points each.
In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Miami Heat 121-95 to maintain the sixth seed, giving them direct entry to the playoffs. Scottie Barnes scored 25 points and Brandon Ingram added 23. Miami will enter the play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots.
The Boston Celtics held off the Charlotte Hornets 113-102 to move closer to securing the No. 2 seed in the East.
In other Western Conference action, the injury-hit Los Angeles Lakers lost 123-87 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers rested LeBron James and struggled without key players, further diminishing their chances for a top-three seed.