On Monday, February 2, 2026, the Houston Rockets traveled to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Indiana Pacers in a contest defined by short-handed rosters and a gritty battle on the glass. Despite entering the game with a vastly superior record of 30-17, the fourth-seeded Rockets had to overcome the absence of superstar Kevin Durant, who was sidelined with an ankle injury. The Pacers, though struggling at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 13-36 record, were riding a wave of relative resilience, having won three of their previous four games leading into the matchup.The matchup quickly turned into a showcase for Houston’s Alperen Sengun. With the Rockets missing Durant’s scoring and Steven Adams’ interior presence, Sengun shouldered the load, matching his season high with 39 points. His performance was dominant, featuring 13-of-25 shooting from the floor and a massive effort at the free-throw line, where he attempted 18 shots. Beyond his scoring, Sengun’s 16 rebounds were instrumental in a game where physical effort made the difference.Indiana did not go down without a fight. Led by All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, who finished with 27 points, and a strong 25-point contribution from Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers controlled much of the first half. They appeared to have a significant momentum boost late in the second quarter, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Siakam was waved off, leaving them with a 63-56 lead at the break.The second half saw a series of momentum shifts. Houston opened the third quarter with a 12-5 run to establish a 75-63 lead, taking advantage of Indiana’s defensive lapses in transition. The Pacers responded with nine straight points to eventually retake a slim 81-79 lead, but they were unable to sustain the pressure. A late 12-2 run by the Rockets, fueled by Sengun’s aggressive play in the paint, pushed the score to 109-101 with under five minutes remaining.The closing seconds provided a moment of high drama. With Houston leading by three and less than ten seconds on the clock, Sengun missed two free throws, giving Indiana a glimmer of hope for a comeback. However, the Pacers’ inability to secure the defensive board proved fatal. The Rockets hauled in the offensive rebound, and Amen Thompson was fouled. Thompson split his free throws, effectively sealing the 118-114 victory for Houston.After the game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle pointed directly to the physical discrepancies as the cause for the defeat. The Rockets demolished Indiana on the boards, out-rebounding them 56 to 33, including 19 offensive rebounds. Carlisle noted that Houston’s tenacity in pursuing the ball and their 31 points from 37 free-throw attempts were the primary factors that doomed his squad.This victory marked Houston's third straight win and their third consecutive road triumph, solidifying their status as a top contender in the Western Conference. For the Pacers, while the loss was disappointing, the performance showed they could compete with elite teams even while missing their primary playmaker, Tyrese Haliburton. The result further extended Houston’s historical edge in their head-to-head series to 60-47. Following this clash, the Rockets returned home to face the Boston Celtics, while the Pacers looked to rebound in a matchup against the Utah Jazz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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