Durant scores 35 points as Rockets hold on to beat Hornets 105-101

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 105-101 on Thursday night.

Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun each had 13 for Houston. The Rockets overcame an 11-point first-half deficit.

Grant Williams led the Hornets with 20 points. Brandon Miller scored 17 points, but was 1 of 12 from 3-point range.

LaMelo Ball, playing a day after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte, had 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

The Hornets, who had won 11 of 12 going into the All-Star break with the only loss coming to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, looked sharp early and bolted to an 11-point lead early in the second quarter.

But the Rockets would start to pull away in the fourth quarter with Sengun making a spinning reverse layup against rookie 7-foot- center Ryan Kalkbrenner and baby hook shot on back-to-back possessions to Houston its biggest lead at 95-84 with five minutes left.

Charlotte's Kon Knueppel, who came into the game second in the league in 3-pointers, would make two 3s down the stretch but Durant was too much.

He hit four mid-range jumpers and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter including one to beat the shot clock with 44 seconds left when he drove the left side of the lane and elevated above traffic.

After Knueppel's third 3 cut it to 103-101 with six seconds left, the Hornets were forced to foul and Durant made both free throws to put the game away.

Rockets: At New York on Saturday night.

Hornets: Host Cleveland on Friday night.

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

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) blocks a shot attempt by Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, right, drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel, right, looks to drive against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) looks to shoot against Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks to shoot against Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) and center PJ Hall (16) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Eric Dane, the celebrated actor best known for his roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria” and who later in life became advocate for ALS awareness, died Thursday. He was 53.

His representatives said Dane died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known also as Lou Gehrig’s disease, less than a year after he announced his diagnosis.

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” said a statement that requested privacy for his family. “Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.”

Dane developed a devoted fanbase when his big break arrived in the mid-2000s: He was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan, aka McSteamy, on the ABC medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy,” a role he would play from 2006 until 2012 and reprise in 2021. In 2019, he did a complete 180 from the charming McSteamy and became the troubled Cal Jacobs in HBO’s provocative drama “Euphoria,” a role he continued in up until his death.

Dane also starred as Tom Chandler, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer at sea after a global catastrophe wiped out most of the world’s population, in the TNT drama “The Last Ship.” In 2017, production was halted as Dane battled depression.

In April 2025, Dane announced he had been diagnosed with ALS, a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells controlling muscles throughout the body.

ALS gradually destroys the nerve cells and connections needed to walk, talk, speak and breathe. Most patients die within three to five years of a diagnosis.

Dane became an advocate for ALS awareness, speaking a news conference in Washington on health insurance prior authorization. “Some of you may know me from TV shows, such as 'Grey's Anatomy,' which I play a doctor. But I am here today to speak briefly as a patient battling ALS," he said in June 2025. In September of that year, the ALS Network named Dane the recipient of their advocate of the year award, recognizing his commitment to raising awareness and support for people living with ALS.

Dane was born on Nov. 9, 1972 and raised in Northern California. His father, a Navy man, died of a gunshot wound when he was 7. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, landing guest roles on shows like “Saved by the Bell,” “Married...With Children,” “Charmed” and “X-Men: the Last Stand,” and one season of the short-lived medical drama “Gideon’s Crossing.”

A memoir by Dane is scheduled to be published in late 2026. “Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” will be released by Maria Shriver’s The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint. According to Open Field, Dane will look back upon key moments in his life, from his first day at work on “Grey’s Anatomy” to the births of his two daughters and learning that he had ALS.

“I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart," Dane said in a statement around the book's announcement. "If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling.”

Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two teen daughters, Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart and Dane wed in 2004 and separated in September 2017. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but later filed to dismiss the petition. In a December essay for New York magazine’s The Cut reflecting on Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart called their dynamic “a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people.” She said they never got a divorce, but dated other people and lived separately.

“Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love,” she said. “Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. So whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that.”

FILE - Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart arrive at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, Sept. 16, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)

FILE - Eric Dane poses backstage at the TNT and TBS Network 2014 Upfront Presentations at Madison Square Garden, May 14, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Actor Eric Dane arrives to the 12th annual GQ "Men of the Year" party at the Chateau Marmont hotel, in Los Angeles, Dec. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Eric Dane arrives at a promotional event for the series "Euphoria," in Los Angeles, April 20, 2022. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)