Houston opened 2026 with a statement. The Rockets beat the Nets on New Year’s Day, and Kevin Durant changed the game the moment he checked in. Brooklyn fought, but without leading scorer Michael Porter Jr., it could not match Houston’s shot making late.
Instant recap
This one swung in the fourth quarter. Houston tightened its defense, cleared a side for Durant, and trusted its spacing. Brooklyn kept it close with effort plays and quick cuts. The legs faded late. The Rockets did not.
Durant looked sharp after the layoff. He got to his spots, rose over contests, and drew extra coverage that unlocked driving lanes for Houston’s young guards. Every big possession flowed through him. The tempo slowed to his beat, and the Nets could not speed it up.
Durant’s return changes Houston’s ceiling right now. The gravity, the calm, and the closing answers are back.
Durant’s impact on Houston’s shape
This was not just about points. Durant’s presence simplified every read. Houston used him at the elbow, on the wing, and as a screener. He flipped the switch from scramble to control. The offense flattened for isolations when needed, but it hummed most when he played as a fulcrum.
The closing lineup leaned on length and switchability. With Durant at the four, Houston switched more actions and kept the ball in front. That allowed the big to sit back and protect the rim. The result, one shot for Brooklyn per trip, then a clean rebound and a composed half-court set.
There was a clear minutes plan for Durant, but the impact was immediate. Even in short bursts, he lifted the second unit’s spacing, which has been a weak point. Houston avoided the mid-quarter lulls that have hurt them in tight games.
Life without MPJ for Brooklyn
The Nets missed Michael Porter Jr., and it showed in shot quality. Without their top scorer, they leaned on secondary creators. The ball stuck at times. Late-clock tries turned into tough pull-ups. Brooklyn still found pockets in transition, yet the half-court grind wore them down.
Defensively, the Nets sent help early at Durant. That gave Houston corner threes and short-roll chances. When Brooklyn stayed home on shooters, Durant punished single coverage with clean midrange looks. It was a pick-your-poison night, and the poison was steady.
Brooklyn needed one more north-south attacker. Without MPJ bending the defense, the paint touches were scarce. The Rockets walled off the lane, then used their size on the glass.
Brooklyn’s identity holds on defense, but without MPJ, the margin for error is thin on offense.
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Rotations and strategy that mattered
Houston shortened the rotation and paired Durant with a downhill guard to trigger rotations. The first action drew two to the ball. The second action punished the scramble. Simple, sharp, repeatable. The staff also stashed Durant on a lower-usage forward at times, saving his legs for late-game buckets.
On the Nets’ side, the bench had energy and kept them connected early. The problem came in crunch time. Houston forced switches, then hunted the matchups they wanted. Brooklyn countered with small lineups to chase, which hurt their rim protection. Without MPJ’s scoring cushion, every defensive mistake loomed larger.
- Key takeaways:
- Durant’s return restores Houston’s closing time identity.
- The Rockets’ length fueled stops and one-shot possessions.
- Brooklyn’s offense relies heavily on MPJ’s shot creation.
- Both teams will tighten late-game rotations after this result.
What this means next
Houston’s trajectory points up with Durant back. The ball will move cleaner, and the young core will see easier looks. Expect more two-man actions that pair Durant with a rolling big, plus lineups that spread the floor and switch across three spots.
For the Nets, the formula is familiar. Defend hard, run when possible, and find enough half-court answers until MPJ returns. The staff may dial up more off-ball movement and use flare screens to free shooters. They also need a steady diet of paint touches to avoid living on tough jumpers.
If you track markets, note the shift. Durant’s minutes and efficiency change Houston’s profiles. Brooklyn’s totals and props look different without MPJ’s volume.
The bottom line
The Rockets handled their moment, and Kevin Durant made the difference. His return brought poise and punch to close out a gritty New Year’s Day win. Brooklyn showed fight, but lacked the late-game creator that usually lives in Michael Porter Jr.’s hands. Houston leaves this one with momentum. The Nets leave with reminders, and a clear blueprint for what must improve until their top scorer is back.
