Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun combined for 62 points to close out a scrappy Wizards side. On paper, that’s a stat line. On the Capital One Arena floor it was a statement. Houston won 123-118, but the scoreboard hides some of the story. Talent. Tension. And a whiff of chaos in the third quarter.
Durant and Sengun — craft and muscle
Kevin Durant played like he was at home, even in a different jersey. Maryland is never far from his head and you could see it. 30 points, a flawless 11-for-11 from the line, 7 assists, 6 rebounds. Clean. Clinical. He didn’t force it; he controlled every hot sequence.
Next to him, Alperen Sengun bullied the paint. 32 points, 13 rebounds, footwork that spins defenders and a soft touch under the rim. When Washington closed in, he was the one who shut the door. A spin move here, a little hook there, draw the foul, curtain.
Kevin Durant 30 PTS, 7 REBS, 1 BLK, 3/6 3PT, 11/11 FT, 76% TS on 8/15 FG
Alperen Sengun 32 PTS, 13 REBS, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 8/11 FT on 12/20 FG vs Wizards https://t.co/WyoTsHzOzf pic.twitter.com/i4yddxI46i
— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) March 3, 2026
Houston also got energy from Amen Thompson — 22 points, 12 rebounds — and from Reed Sheppard’s full-night: 19 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 6 steals for his first career double-double. The Rockets have veterans. They also have legs.
Bilal Coulibaly — Washington’s bright spot
In defeat, Bilal Coulibaly put together one of his best nights. Season-high scoring, career-high from deep. 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 5-of-7 from three, 2 blocks, 1 steal. All in 26 minutes.
BILAL COULIBALY 23 POINTS VS HOUSTON
WELCOME BACK ALEX https://t.co/bPMVptMrqt pic.twitter.com/7zZTrKAbzG
— riley ｼ (@rileyr_) March 3, 2026
You can question Brian Keefe for not keeping him out longer. The wing was in rhythm, aggressive, confident. He attacked closeouts, rose for dunks, and altered angles on defense. Washington finished with a 38-point fourth, and Coulibaly was part of that push. Maybe it was too little, too late.
Sharife Cooper added 21, but the Wizards paid for a shaky inside game in the first half. 12-for-19 from three in the first two quarters, sure. But just 6-for-28 on two-pointers. Too many forced shots. Not enough paint presence against Sengun.
Trae Young — tossed before he even played
The wildest moment didn’t involve a shot. Trae Young, expected to make his Washington debut this week, was ejected—without logging a minute.
In the third, during a skirmish between Tari Eason and Jamir Watkins, Young left the bench to argue a call. Bad idea. Immediate ejection. Eason was tossed too.
Trae Young 0 PTS, 0 REBS, 0 ASTS, 0 MIN, 1 Ejection vs Rocketspic.twitter.com/5KZuGA6FH7 https://t.co/9ehKpxmtnN
— NBA Performances (@NBARewinds) March 3, 2026
Young had been limited to ten games this season by knee and quad issues before arriving in January. He was set to return Thursday against Utah. Didn’t wait to make headlines. Washington are a team in build mode, but the sparks are already flying.
Houston hangs on; Washington is learning
The Rockets led by 18 after a controlled third, then by 19 early in the fourth. Thompson and Durant pushed the pace when needed. Houston dictated the tempo.
Still, Washington didn’t roll over. 38 points in the final quarter. Pride, pace, and that feeling something’s being built despite the losses.
Houston hosts Golden State on Thursday. The Wizards head to Orlando on Tuesday. The season rolls on and patterns start to form. If anything came through tonight, it’s that the Durant–Sengun pairing can hurt you, and often.
Photo by Scott Taetsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
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