Kings Vs Rockets: kings vs rockets — Rockets blowout at home 128-97

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 26, 2026 3:57 PM ET

Kings Vs Rockets: kings vs rockets — Rockets blowout at home 128-97

In a Wednesday night blowout, the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 128-97 in a game that left little doubt after an early runaway. The kings vs rockets matchup produced a 77-50 halftime edge for Houston and a dominant offensive showing across the roster.

Kings Vs Rockets game flow

The Rockets carried a 77-50 lead into the half. Sacramento opened the second half on a 13-2 run, prompting Ime Udoka to call a timeout a few minutes into the quarter, but Udoka pressed the right buttons and stuck with a combination of players that kept the offense from becoming stagnant.

Reed Sheppard’s start and shooting

Reed Sheppard entered the starting lineup with Amen Thompson out with an apparent quad injury and delivered a game-high 28 points. Sheppard drilled seven triples on 16 attempts from beyond the arc and was 43 percent from three-point range on the night. After the game, Ime Udoka highlighted Sheppard’s approach: "Aggressiveness, hunting his shots. The fact that he got 12 [shots] up in the first half tells you all you need to know. Great job overall. Made the right plays as well. " Sheppard has made the most of his starts; in seven starts he has averaged 15. 9 points, 3. 7 rebounds, 4. 9 assists and 2. 1 steals per game.

Sengun, Durant and role players

Alperen Sengun produced a 26-point triple-double, his third triple-double of the season. Kevin Durant scored 21 points on 62 percent shooting. Josh Okogie shot an efficient 5-of-7 from the field, with three of those makes coming from behind the arc. Jabari Smith finished with 12 points on 6-of-12 from the field, and "Uncle Jeff" Green chipped in 5 points. It was described in coverage as a complete team victory over a bad Sacramento Kings team.

Injuries, rotations and VanVleet context

Amen Thompson was out with an apparent quad injury and took the night off, which opened a starting spot for Sheppard. Aaron Holiday got some run, shot well and provided another ball handler to help keep ball movement crisp. The absence of Fred VanVleet — who suffered a season-ending torn ACL prior to the start of the season — has thrust Sheppard into more action; VanVleet's presence would have allowed Sheppard to be eased in more slowly. Sheppard has defensive shortcomings that limit his upside in a defense-first Rockets system, but his blistering shooting nights make him an invaluable X-factor. He has endured ups and downs common to young guards learning to be playmakers.

Late minutes, rest and home context

Turnovers and poor execution cost the Rockets late, but the main rotation was able to rest in the fourth quarter as Houston heads into the second game of a back-to-back on the road in Orlando. The team is scheduled to be back in action tomorrow at Orlando at 6pm. Getting a home win was welcome: prior to this game the Rockets had lost four of the last 7 home games. If the Rockets are going to achieve what fans hope, these types of games need to be automatic. In the end, a win is a win, and the Rockets need to start stacking as many of those as possible, so tonight Rockets fans can go home happy.

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