Rockets Crush Kings 128-97: Kings Vs Rockets Game Recap and Sengun's Historic Night
In the latest kings vs rockets matchup on Wednesday night, Feb. 25, 2026 in Houston, the Rockets overwhelmed the Sacramento Kings 128-97, a result that combined a career night from Reed Sheppard with a historic triple-double from Alperen Sengun and left the Kings dealing with a key injury.
Kings Vs Rockets — Score, Sengun triple-double and Sheppard barrage
Alperen Sengun finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, marking his third triple-double of the season and the 11th of his career. Reed Sheppard made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points. Kevin Durant added 21 points as Houston posted a 128-97 victory.
How Houston built a blowout
Houston jumped out early and sustained the pressure. The Rockets led 33-22 after the first quarter when Russell Westbrook accounted for 17 of Sacramento's points. Houston then outscored the Kings 44-28 in the second quarter, going 8 for 12 from 3-point range and stretching the lead to 77-50 at halftime, a 27-point margin. The Rockets shot 54. 7% from the field and hit 17 of their first 30 shots, eventually leading by as many as 36 points in the fourth quarter.
Kings' struggles, Westbrook hot start and key injury
Russell Westbrook finished with 22 points for Sacramento, but 17 of those came in the first quarter. Westbrook was 8 for 14 in that opening period — his most in a first quarter since he scored 17 against Utah on Feb. 9, 2020 — while the rest of the Kings were just 1 for 10 in that frame. Sacramento also lost starting forward Keegan Murray to a left ankle injury in the first quarter. The Kings had been coming off a win over Memphis that snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak.
Sengun’s growing resume and role
At 23 years of age, Sengun now ranks with the game's top centers for 25/10/10 performances, owning the 10th most such games by a center in NBA history. He has served as Houston's primary offensive hub this season and has functioned as the team's de facto point guard amid Fred VanVleet's injury. The Turkish center’s combination of scoring, rebounding and playmaking was central to the rout.
Context and what this win means for Houston
The 128-97 result was Houston's most-lopsided victory of the season. It extended a short winning run: Houston has won two in a row since blowing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter at New York on Saturday. The commanding nature of the win allowed key players, including Sengun and Durant, to avoid extended minutes late in the game — a useful luxury with a tough game looming on the second night of a back-to-back against the Orlando Magic.
Related notes and roster chatter
Other developments linked to the game night include a look at what unlocked Reed Sheppard’s shooting explosion and a separate item in which Tari Eason apologized after a cheap shot that gave Vince Williams Jr. an ACL injury. Details on those items are noted as separate storylines tied to Houston’s recent slate.
Immediate takeaways
The kings vs rockets meeting on Feb. 25, 2026 reinforced Houston’s ceiling when Sengun controls the paint and the Rockets’ shooters are hot. For Sacramento, the loss highlighted offensive inconsistency beyond Westbrook’s burst and the impact of Keegan Murray's left ankle injury. The result also reshuffled short-term narratives: Houston sits solidly in contention in the Western Conference, while Sacramento must sort health and shooting issues as it moves forward.
