Kevin Durant's 30 points power Rockets to 126-119 win over Pacers

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 30 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 126-119 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

It’s the second straight 30-point game for Durant and his 10th this season, his first in Houston since a blockbuster summer trade from Phoenix.

Jabari Smith Jr. had 21 points with 10 rebounds and Amen Thompson added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets, who have won three in a row after dropping four of their previous five games during a tough road trip.

It’s the ninth consecutive loss for the Pacers, who have the NBA’s worst record at 6-27 with Tyrese Haliburton out all season with an Achilles injury.

The Rockets led by 27 to start the fourth and were up by 16 when coach Ime Udoka cleared the bench with 2 1/2 minutes to go.

Pascal Siakam had 23 points to lead the Pacers and Aaron Nesmith added 14 with four 3-pointers.

The Rockets led by 16 at halftime and used a 12-3 spurt after the break to push the lead to 78-51 with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Smith had two 3-pointers in that stretch and Durant added four points.

Houston remained up by 27 midway through the third before the Pacers went on a 14-2 run to get within 89-74 with about four minutes remaining in the quarter. Siakam scored six points in that time and Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard capped the run with 3s.

The Rockets rediscovered their offense after that, using a 16-4 run, with 3-pointers from Reed Sheppard and Dorian Finney-Smith, to take a 105-78 lead into the fourth quarter.

Houston’s Steven Adams had eight points and five rebounds in his second straight start for All-Star Alperen Sengun, who is out with calf tightness. Adams left in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle and didn’t return.

Pacers: Host Orlando on Wednesday.

Rockets: Visit Brooklyn on Thursday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka talks with guard Amen Thompson (1) during a time out in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) fouls Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, left, under the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)