NBA roundup: Houston Rockets overturn deficit to prevail as San Antonio Spurs also win

[p]In addition to a career-high in points, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castle-stephon/Kzd3IGeT/"]Castle[/a] grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out 12 assists, coming up with three steals and a blocked shot for good measure.[/p][p]The 2025 Rookie of the Year became at 21 the third-youngest player to record a 40-point triple-double, behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a]. He joined Hall of Famer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-mitchell/S0UU8oWb/"]David Robinson[/a] as the only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]Spurs[/a] players with 40-point triple-doubles.[/p][p]Castle was brutally efficient, connecting on 15 of his 19 shots to help the Spurs post their second win in three days over the Mavs, who have lost seven straight.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vassell-devin/hIJfdJJJ/"]Devin Vassell[/a] added 17 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a] had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who led 81-67 at halftime.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thompson-klay/pQUdN6bE/"]Klay Thompson[/a] led the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dallas-mavericks/YouS3mEC/"]Mavericks[/a] with 19 points while sensational rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flagg-cooper/dInnahrB/"]Cooper Flagg[/a] finished with 14 - ending his streak of four games with 30 or more.[/p][p]Flagg didn't play in the fourth quarter, with Mavs coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kidd-jason/UNsTAAqN/"]Jason Kidd[/a] saying after the game that the 19-year-old was battling a stiff back.[/p][p]Castle reached 40 points with a put-back dunk midway through the fourth quarter that put San Antonio up 129-108.[/p][p]"[b]It felt good, but more importantly it felt good to do that knowing we were going to get the win as well[/b]," he said.[/p][h2]Rockets silence Thunder[/h2][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a], fueled by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sengun-alperen/6VXU9SGb/"]Alperen Sengun[/a]'s triple-double and some timely baskets from superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/durant-kevin/pKXcd9rI/"]Kevin Durant[/a], rallied to beat the short-handed NBA champion Thunder 112-106 in Oklahoma City.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston[/a] trailed by as many as 15 in the second quarter against a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] team missing reigning NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a].[/p][p]But they chipped away to take the lead in the third period and held on down the stretch [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/houston-rockets-Sr9PQALP/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=xhYgdTuB"]to snap a two-game losing streak.[/a][/p][p]"[b]We started making shots,[/b]" said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/durant-kevin/pKXcd9rI/"]Durant[/a], a two-time NBA champion who launched his career with the Thunder franchise and heard boos from fans still miffed by his departure more than nine years ago.[/p][p]"[b]I think we got good looks that first half, we just weren't knocking them down. Second half, we knocked them down.[/b][/p][p]"[b]We knew they would slow down a bit,[/b]" Durant added. "[b]They were playing with a lot of energy at home the first half. They were missing three guys, other guys get an opportunity (and) they took advantage in the first half. The second half, I think we came out with the same energy[/b]."[/p][embed guid="d9bb92ec-c60a-4f18-98de-c9d0e0df8873" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2020303550409212144?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Durant, bottled up in a first half that saw him attempt just three shots, finished with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting.[/p][p]Turkish center [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sengun-alperen/6VXU9SGb/"]Sengun[/a] scored 17 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists and added three steals and three blocked shots. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-jr-jabari/jsPugfKi/"]Jabari Smith[/a] Jr. had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eason-tari/zg1IXqlq/"]Tari Eason[/a] led Houston's scoring with 26 points as all five Rockets starters finished with at least 16.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wallace-cason/K6zUkh2b/"]Cason Wallace[/a] led the Thunder with 23 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joe-isaiah/bLTWgNgj/"]Isaiah Joe[/a] added 21 off the bench for the reigning champions, who still boast the league's best record at 40-13.[/p][p]Forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a], back from a one-game injury absence, added 17 points and 14 rebounds, but the Thunder - missing Gilgeous-Alexander until after the All-Star break with an abdominal injury - couldn't maintain their early momentum.[/p][p]In other early games, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brooklyn-nets/bsAMUpDO/"]Brooklyn Nets[/a] scored 80 points in the first half on the way [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/brooklyn-nets-bsAMUpDO/washington-wizards-W6vGWPsn/?mid=4vznbkBb"]to a 127-113 victory[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Washington Wizards[/a], who had just eight players available amid injuries and the wait for newly traded players.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/porter-michael-jr/jTSI4c83/"]Michael Porter[/a] Jr scored 23 points, 20 of them in the first half, as the Nets halted a three-game skid.[/p][p]A milestone night for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a] helped the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] bounce back from a double-overtime loss to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/chicago-bulls-bPjc49q0/denver-nuggets-CxvW27TI/?mid=IP8SASf4"]with a 136-120 victory[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-bulls/bPjc49q0/"]Bulls[/a] in Chicago.[/p][p]Jokic scored 22 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and handed out 17 assists, his 182nd career triple-double moving him past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robertson-oscar/IXiofrhN/"]Oscar Robertson[/a] for second on the all-time list headed by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/westbrook-russell/xdkW8SCH/"]Russell Westbrook[/a]'s 207.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/charlotte-hornets/xftMikUg/"]Charlotte[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bridges-miles/GEWBYePl/"]Miles Bridges[/a] scored 26 points and rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/knueppel-kon/YDOmqcSE/"]Kon Knueppel[/a] added 23 as the Hornets posted their ninth straight victory [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/atlanta-hawks-xAO4gBas/charlotte-hornets-xftMikUg/?mid=pbeLClQi"]with a 126-119 win[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Hawks[/a] in Atlanta.[/p][p]The Hornets' streak is the longest active streak in the league and the club's longest since they won nine in a row in 1999.[/p][p]In [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles[/a], LeBron James scored 20 points with seven rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Lakers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/golden-state-warriors-SxUtXqch/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/?mid=SMta1FN7"]to a 105-99 victory[/a] over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/golden-state-warriors/SxUtXqch/"]Golden State Warriors[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moody-moses/Q98n0Teh/"]Moses Moody[/a] led the Warriors with 25 points in a California clash that lost some of its luster with the injury absences of Warriors star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-stephen/xx3787qL/"]Stephen Curry[/a] and the Lakers' Luka Doncic.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/basketball/usa/nba/"]Follow all of the NBA action on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]