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HOUSTON -- On Monday night at Toyota Center, time stood still when the clock repeatedly malfunctioned during the first half of a Western Conference battle between the Rockets and Phoenix Suns.
Late in the fourth quarter, as the final seconds ticked off a then-functioning clock, time stopped one more time for everyone except one player.
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Enter Kevin Durant, a perennial NBA All-Star and future Hall of Famer.
As Durant received the inbounds pass from Jabari Smith Jr., he quickly realized that he was one-on-one with Suns guard Royce O’Neale. It’s rare in that situation, as Durant expected an immediate double team that didn’t come until he was already in his shooting motion.
With the shot in rotation from 3-point range, fans in the building went silent until the ball went through the net. From there, the star-studded crowd erupted, with standouts including Texans owner Cal McNair and his wife, Hannah; Astros owner Jim Crane and newly acquired pitcher Tatsuya Imai; and Andre Johnson, a former Texans receiver and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Durant’s shot gave the Rockets a 100-97 lead over the Suns, and after a failed inbounds pass on the other end, Houston avoided overtime and secured a much-needed victory.
The Rockets (22-11) are now 11-1 in their last 12 games at Toyota Center, and they are in a virtual tie for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference standings. They’ve won five of their last six games, overall.
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It was a surreal moment for some of Houston’s younger players. While they had previously watched on television as Durant hit buzzer-beaters throughout his 19-year NBA career, it was different when they had an opportunity to witness it in real-time and while sharing the court with him.
“That was a lot better than watching it on TV,” second-year guard Reed Sheppard told Rockets Wire. Sheppard was born in June 2004, only three years prior to Durant’s selection at No. 2 overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft.
“Just knowing that he has made multiple shots like that and being a part of it… it was fun watching him,” Sheppard added. “To see him hit that game-winner, like that, was really cool.”
It was also an unforgettable moment for Smith, another player who grew up while watching Durant put together his stellar basketball career.
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“It’s nothing like it, that is something you tell your kids about when you get older,” Smith told Rockets Wire. “You are just watching the ball in the air like you are a kid again. It looked good the whole way. When I saw that they didn’t send two (players towards Durant), I was like, ‘Yea, this game is probably over with.’
“It is just a sight to see as me being somebody growing up who used to watch him,” Smith said. “It was just a dream come true, honestly.”
With momentum on their side after Durant’s heroics, Houston now heads out on a three-game West Coast road trip against the Trail Blazers (twice) and Sacramento Kings. It starts Wednesday night at Portland (17-20), where tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. Central.
More: Rockets 100, Suns 97: Kevin Durant gets dramatic to celebrate big shot
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Dream come true’: Younger Rockets savor seeing Kevin Durant’s heroics
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