Durant's 26 points lead Rockets over Clippers 102-95

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Alperen Sengun added 22 to help the Houston Rockets to a 102-95 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

Houston led by six points at the start the fourth period and scored the first seven points of the quarter to extend its lead to 85-72 with 10 ½ minutes remaining. Kawhi Leonard made two free throws, but the Rockets scored the next four points to extend the lead.

The Rockets were up by 12 later in the fourth when Durant stole the ball from Brook Lopez, and Reed Sheppard made an off-balance 3-pointer to make it 92-77 with about 6 ½ minutes to go.

Houston remained up by 15 about a minute later when Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue cleared his bench.

Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points after scoring 41 in a blowout win in December in the last meeting between the teams. Los Angeles made 20 3-pointers in that 128-108 victory, but was just 8 for 30 from long range on Tuesday.

Jabari Smith Jr. had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Amen Thompson added 16 points for the Rockets in his return after sitting out of Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City because of an illness.

A 3-pointer by Jordan Miller cut the lead to two points late in the third before Sengun scored the last two baskets of the quarter to put the Rockets up 78-72 entering the fourth.

Bennedict Mathurin had nine points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes in his first game since a trade from Indiana last week. Darius Garland, acquired in the trade that sent James Harden to Cleveland, remains out with a toe injury.

The teams meet again Wednesday night in Houston in their last game before the All-Star break.

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Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (30) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) reach for the rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Jordan Miller (22) reacts as he loses control of the ball against Houston Rockets' Dorian Finney-Smith (2) and Clint Capela during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren)

NEW YORK (AP) — The early Bird had to circle Yankee Stadium.

Jake Bird arrived at 8:15 a.m. Friday, more than five hours before the start of his first game in pinstripes. The gate where New York Yankees players usually enter wasn't yet open and he was told to enter from the other side of the ballpark, at Gate 6.

“I just walked around,” the relief pitcher said. "It was a nice foggy morning.”

Eight months after the Yankees acquired him from Colorado, Bird pitched in the Bronx for the first time Friday. He struck out two in a perfect seventh inning of an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins in New York's home opener.

Bird credited Natalie Girard for recommending he account for possibly congested streets when he called for Uber pickup at his Manhattan hotel.

“My girlfriend is really familiar with New York, so she was kind of telling me, `Hey, there might be traffic in the morning, so you should get there early,'” Bird recalled. “Also, I didn’t really know where to enter the stadium and stuff and I’ve been in that spot before where I kind of got lost, so just it didn’t hurt to get here a little early and kind of familiarize myself with the place.”

Hours later, he entered with a 5-2 lead in the seventh inning. Bird retired Otto Lopez on a flyout, threw a called third strike past Owen Caissie and struck out Connor Norby.

Bird pumped both arms and screamed.

“He had a little emotional release after getting that third out,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He was, again, really sharp, man, and went right through the middle of their order. Right, left, left was efficient.”

Bird was dealt by the Rockies for a pair of prospects last July 31, made three relief appearances on the road, the last in Texas ending with Josh Jung's three-run, walk-off homer, and was sent to Triple-A for the rest of the season.

“I know last year it didn’t really work out the way he wanted,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said, “He’s a guy that wants to be here. He wants to be great and I think after going through last year he knows the expectations now and he’s ready to go.”

Bird has allowed one hit over 4 1/3 scoreless innings in four games this season, striking out five and walking none.

“I’m just trying to stay closed and not fly open,” he said. “I know my slider and my breaking balls have been really good and fastball is a weak point at times, so just trying to build on the breaking balls as a strength and trying to improve the fastball, as well.”

An economics major at UCLA, Bird was taken by the Rockies on the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft and made his big league debut in 2022. He has a 4.68 ERA with 221 strikeouts in 236 2/3 innings.

“Opening day is amazing," he said, “experience it here for the first time was really cool.”

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New York Yankees' pitcher Jake Bird walks back to dugout during the sixth inning of a home-opener baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Friday, April 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)