Kevin Durant likes ‘pissed off’ Rockets’ reaction to 0-2 start

Houston–Star Ahead Kevin Durant Said Houston Rockets Players and coaches are “angry” as they fall to 0-2 with 115-111 loss detroit pistons on Friday night.

But Durant also sees early-season disappointment as a good thing.

“The coaching staff is angry, the players are angry,” he said. “We want a better result, and it’s early too. So I like that kind of energy to make us feel that way.”

Durant scored 37 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while going 16 of 18 from the free throw line. But that anger came out in their home opener in Houston, which featured the Rockets’ veteran yao ming And Hakeem Olajuwon Sitting courtside wasn’t enough to lead his new team to its first win.

Such as their 125–124 double-overtime loss to the defending champions early in the season oklahoma city thunderThe Rockets’ loss to the Pistons (1-1) came down to the wire.

But players refuse to accept moral victory Durant is no longer on the team that was the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season and entered it with the fifth-best odds to win the NBA title at 14-1, according to ESPN BET.

“Feel like we haven’t played a good game yet,” guard Amen Thompson Said. “It’s been two close games. We can’t say that all the time. We want to play great games. We have championship level expectations. So trying to play our best game every game. Bad games happen, but we’re still trying to win them.”

The game was tight late in the fourth quarter as Durant dribbled up the court with less than 30 seconds remaining. With Houston trailing 113-111, every Rockets fan was waiting for a bucket to tie the score or take the lead.

Durant immediately doubled a pick-and-roll and passed it alperen sengunwhose shot was stopped from moving forward by the piston paul reed With 16 seconds remaining. detroit guard Cade Cunningham Was fouled shortly after and drained two free throws to clinch the win.

Durant admitted he’s still balancing taking over play and letting his teammates get into a rhythm. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter; No other Rockets player scored more than three.

“I felt such balance when I came back in the fourth quarter,” Durant said. “I got aggressive and made them double me, and I think we got some good looks.”

Durant, who signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with the Rockets on Sunday, has shown through two games what he can do for the team. He averaged 30 points on 53% shooting from the floor while converting 43% from the 3-point line.