Alperen Şengün scored 28 points, adding 11 rebounds and seven assists, as the Houston Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-104 on Wednesday. Kevin Durant contributed 20 points, while reserve Aaron Holiday poured in 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to quell a Cavaliers comeback.

De’Andre Hunter led Cleveland with 25 points, and Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Evan Mobley added 18 points but struggled to contain Şengün, the Turkish center who remained unfazed. “I never back down from anybody,” Şengün said. “Doesn’t matter best defender in the league, anybody. At clutch time, I’m just going to go through him. I’m just going to get my shot and just finish the game.”

The Cavaliers had trimmed a 23-point deficit with a 23-5 run to end the third quarter, pulling within 74-70, but Houston held firm in the final period. The Rockets improved to 10-3 and extended their winning streak to five games.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their league-best record to 15-1 with a 113-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Chet Holmgren added 21 points and seven boards. The Thunder, now 7-0 at home, handed Sacramento their seventh straight loss.

In other action, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić recorded a triple-double—28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists—to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 125-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Peyton Watson added 32 points and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Indiana snapped an eight-game losing streak, defeating Charlotte 127-118 behind 24 points and 12 rebounds from Bennedict Mathurin and 22 points with seven assists from Pascal Siakam. Toronto beat Philadelphia 121-112 with Brandon Ingram and R.J. Barrett each scoring 22 points, though Tyrese Maxey scored 24 for the 76ers.

Without Stephen Curry due to a sore ankle, Golden State fell 110-96 to Miami, with Norman Powell scoring 25 points and Bam Adebayo adding 20. In Minneapolis, the Timberwolves overcame Washington 120-109, with Julius Randle contributing 32 points and Naz Reid adding 28 off the bench. Kyshawn George led the struggling Wizards with 23 points in their 12th consecutive loss, leaving their record at 1-13.