Kevin Durant Scores 35 on 14-of-20 Shooting in Rockets Win Over Hornets

Kevin Durant didn’t just score 35 in Charlotte on Thursday night, leading the Rockets' to a 105-101 victory. He controlled the entire temperature of the game.

On paper, it’s an efficient 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, but that doesn’t fully capture it. The Hornets were doubling him on the wing all night, sending bodies early, trying to force the ball out of his hands. But just as Durant does, he kept getting to his spots anyway.

Midrange pull-ups over length, fingertip rolls that barely disturbed the net, and smooth wing three when Charlotte tried to shade him too far inside. Every Durant bucket felt deliberate.

And when the game tightened late, because it always does on the road, Durant shifted gears without rushing. Back-to-back buckets inside two minutes followed by a pull-up middy that quieted the building.

Then, swarmed on the inbound, he drew the foul that sealed the deal. He calmly stepped to the line and knocked down the free throws, pushing the Rockets’ lead to four with some three seconds to go. No theatrics; just precision.

What made his performance in Charlotte even more impressive is that it wasn’t a one-dimensional scoring night. Durant added eight defensive rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. He was active, physical, and engaged on both ends. Those plays don’t always headline, but they tilt games.

This also wasn’t one of those nights where Houston had to overextend him in the fourth. He didn’t even check back in until under five minutes left because the Rockets had built enough cushion through discipline and defensive pressure. When he returned, it was to finish, not rescue.

35 points. 70-percent shooting. Clutch free throws. Defensive impact. And total control of pace.

This is exactly the kind of night that reminds fans, critics, and everyone in between exactly why Durant would plug into this Rockets squad like a puzzle piece, not just to serve as a veteran leader.