DJ Bien-AimeOct 25, 2025, 01:28 AM ET
- DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets for the New York Daily News. He’s a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show “Talkin’ Texans.”
HOUSTON — Star forward Kevin Durant said Houston Rockets players and coaches are “pissed off” as they fell to 0-2 with a 115-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
But Durant also views that early-season frustration as a good thing.
“Coaching staff is pissed off, players are pissed off,” he said. “We want a better outcome, and it’s early, too. So for us to feel that way I like that kind of energy.”
Durant dropped 37 points on 9-of-18 shooting, while going 16 of 18 from the free throw line. But that outburst in his Houston home opener, which saw Rockets legends Yao Ming and Hakeem Olajuwon sitting courtside, wasn’t enough to give his new team its first win.
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Like their season-opening 125-124 double-overtime loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets’ loss to the Pistons (1-1) came down to the wire.
But players refuse to accept moral victories, not with Durant now on a team that was the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season and entered this one with the fifth-best odds to win the NBA title at 14-1, according to ESPN BET.
“Just feel like we haven’t played a good game yet,” guard Amen Thompson said. “It’s been two close games. We can’t keep saying that all the time. We want to play great games. We have championship-level expectations. So just trying to play our best game every game. Bad games happen, but we are still trying to win those.”
The game was tight late in the fourth quarter as Durant dribbled up the court with less than 30 seconds remaining. Every Rockets fan rose anticipating a bucket to tie the score or take the lead as Houston trailed 113-111.
Durant quickly doubled off a pick-and-roll and passed it to Alperen Åžengun, whose shot was blocked by Pistons forward Paul Reed with 16 seconds left. Detroit guard Cade Cunningham was fouled shortly after and secured the win by draining two free throws.
Durant admitted he’s still finding the balance on taking over games versus letting his teammates get in rhythm. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter; no other Rockets player scored more than three.
“It’s a balance I felt like when I came back in that 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 flashed what he could be for the team through two games. He’s averaging 30 points on 53% shooting from the floor while converting 43% from the 3-point line.
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