Ben DuBose, Rockets WireTue, February 3, 2026 at 3:12 AM UTC·2 min readWith All-Star forward Kevin Durant sidelined by a left ankle sprain, his younger teammates picked up the slack in Monday’s 118-114 victory (box score) at Indiana.
The Pacers (13-37) remain in last place in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Rockets (31-17) are No. 4 in the West. Houston has now won eight of its last 10 games, overall.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith Durant sidelined, it was a handful of younger Rockets who stepped up. Standouts included:
Alperen Sengun: 39 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists; 13-of-25 shooting (52.0%), 13-of-18 on free throws (72.2%)
Jabari Smith Jr.: 19 points, 4 rebounds; 6-of-12 shooting (50.0%), 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50.0%), 4-of-4 on free throws
Tari Eason: 9 points, 10 rebounds; 3-of-7 shooting (42.9%), 1-of-2 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
Amen Thompson: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks; 6-of-15 shooting (40.0%), 4-of-5 on free throws (80.0%)
With those totals, Sengun set a new 2025-26 season high in scoring and tied his high in rebounds. Led by Sengun, Houston dominated Indiana on the glass, 56-33.
All-Star forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points and 5 assists while making 12-of-21 shots (57.1%), including 2-of-3 from 3-point range (66.7%)
Next up for Houston is a home back-to-back versus Boston (31-18) and Charlotte (22-28) on Wednesday and Thursday nights, respectively. Both Toyota Center tipoffs versus the Celtics and Hornets are at 7:00 p.m. Central.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Rockets are hopeful that Durant will return from his injury for those games, though it is not yet confirmed.
More: As Rockets’ point guard, Amen Thompson earns praise for his growth
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: With best numbers of season, Alperen Sengun leads Rockets past Pacers
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