Collin Sexton scored 25 points and Matas Buzelis added 23 to pace seven players in double figures and boost the host Chicago Bulls to a 132-124 victory against the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Chicago (29-42) squandered a 22-point, first-half lead before recovering down the stretch against Houston (43-28).
The Rockets lost their third straight road game despite a 40-point effort from Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun’s 33-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist triple-double.
Chicago scored 14 of the game’s last 20 points.
The Rockets roared to a second-half comeback, using a 38-17 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take a 112-108 lead with 5:16 to go.
Jabari Smith Jr. knocked down a trey to put the Rockets ahead 109-106 moments earlier, their first lead since Durant scored on the first possession of the night.
Durant and Sengun combined on 31-for-42 shooting. Amen Thompson added 23 points for Houston while Reed Sheppard had 13.
Chicago regained control behind Buzelis, who hit five 3-pointers, but built an early advantage on the strength of its depth.
Leonard Miller matched a career high with 17 points to go with nine rebounds while Josh Giddey had 15 points and 13 assists. Tre Jones and Jalen Smith added 15 points apiece and Nick Richards had 11 points and eight boards.
Sexton sizzled during the first half, scoring 20 points while drilling four 3-pointers to help the Bulls take a 65-48 lead into the break.
A strong start from long range helped the Bulls lead by as many as 20 points in the opening quarter. Chicago had 41 points for its highest-scoring first quarter this season.
Houston, meanwhile, missed its first 14 attempts from long range and didn’t connect from distance until Durant did so with 3:41 remaining in the second quarter. Sheppard made a 3 on the Rockets’ next possession but the Bulls still finished plus-27 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Durant (13 points), Sengun (12) and Thompson (12) led Houston at the break.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka was ejected in the closing seconds after being called for his second technical foul.
–Field Level Media
