Kevin Durant didn’t spend much time mourning Houston’s narrow loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets had their chances to open things up in a tight game, and Durant was blunt about where it slipped away: the shots were there, but too many of them stayed out.
“I think we got a lot of good looks. We could have blown the game open, and we missed two or three, and I missed one, wide-open looks to go up 12, 13 points.
That would have changed the landscape of the game, but that’s just how basketball is. You’re not going to make them all the time," said Durant.
That was the theme from Durant all night. He didn’t point fingers, and he didn’t search for excuses. Instead, he put the loss on his own shoulders, repeating the point later with even less decoration: “I just feel like I missed too many shots.”
The Rockets had already seen Dallas once this season and handled the Mavericks in the opener, but this time the return trip went the other way. Houston erased an early deficit and even took the lead into halftime, yet the game stayed in reach for Dallas long enough for the Mavericks to seize it late.
Durant gave Dallas its due after the final horn.
“You’ve got to give Dallas credit. They played a poised game all the way through.
They were up early, we took the lead back, got it to half, and they just kept running. It was one of those old-fashioned slugfests.
You’ve got to respect both teams for coming out here with that energy.”
The closing stretch belonged to the Mavericks, who hit a series of tough shots, including a spinning, fading jumper that helped seal the result. Durant didn’t need much convincing about the quality of the make.
“You’ve just got to tip your hat to great players,” he said. “Spin, fade, jumper. It was a tough shot.”
Houston’s defense, the backbone of Ime Udoka’s team, wasn’t spotless either. Durant said the Rockets gave up some openings while also watching Dallas knock down difficult looks.
“They hit some tough ones tonight, and we also gave them some openings too, so that mixture was good for them. But I still like our principles, the stuff we’ve been preaching all year.”
That’s the part Durant seemed most intent on protecting: the foundation. One loss wasn’t going to shake the Rockets from what they’ve been building, even if the execution wasn’t sharp enough against Dallas.
And there’s no time to sit on it anyway. Houston is right back at it against Oklahoma City on the second night of a back-to-back, and Durant sounded ready for the quick turnaround.
“We care about every game. We want to win every game.
It means a lot to us. It’s good when you take an L that you can quickly bounce back and try to right your wrongs the next night.
That’s the great part about the NBA, it takes the sting out of the loss a little bit when you’ve got another one coming up.”
He also made sure to respect the challenge waiting next.
“They’re banged up a lot, but they still play with that identity and that championship culture,” Durant said. “It’s going to be another tough test for us.”
For Durant, the message was plain: Houston had the right looks, the right mindset and the right principles, but not quite the right finish. Now the Rockets get a fast chance to clean it up.
In Other News...
Shais New Thunder Burden Could Be Costing OKC Its Biggest Edge
Early in the 2026-27 season, the Thunder are already juggling a thinner rotation than they hoped for, with Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace out long term and the burden spreading across the roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had to absorb more on both ends, and the extra defensive load is showing up in the way Oklahoma City is trying to survive these stretches without losing the edge that has made it so hard to beat.
The concern is that the added responsibility may be trimming into the part of his game that usually carries the Thunder most. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.0 points per game, and Oklahoma City is still waiting for Chet Holmgren to return and help restore some balance. Until then, the Thunder are counting on their star to keep producing at his usual level while doing more of the heavy lifting defensively, a combination that could determine how long they can stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Addressed A Growing Problem On The Wing
With wing injuries piling up and the roster already stretched thin, the Thunder are moving to add some immediate depth by bringing in free agent swingman Ochai Agbaji. The 2022 first-round pick was recently waived by the Knicks, and Oklahoma City is expected to bring him in on a non-guaranteed, minimum-salary deal as it tries to stabilize a position group that has taken a hit in recent days.
For a team trying to keep its flexibility intact while navigating a rash of absences, the move is as much about roster management as it is about one players fit. Agbaji gives the Thunder another body on the wing and keeps the front office positioned to explore additional short-term help if the injury situation continues to demand it. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Suddenly Face A Chet Holmgren Problem They Can't Ignore
The Thunders injury picture got a lot more complicated this week, and Chet Holmgren is now at the center of it. Oklahoma City announced that Holmgren underwent a biological treatment for a small patellar tendon tear in his right knee, adding another significant absence to a roster that is already dealing with injuries and surgeries for Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, along with other players currently sidelined.
For a team built on depth, flexibility and constant lineup churn, the timing is especially awkward. Oklahoma City plans to sign Ochai Agbaji to fill its 15th roster spot, and the front office may also need to explore a hardship exception if the injury list keeps growing. The Thunder have managed roster turbulence before, but this stretch is forcing them to navigate more than just a short-term patch job. [Read more 🡒]