HOUSTON — Six Rockets scored in double figures during Wednesday’s 115–108 win over the Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant led the way with 20 points. Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun scored 19 points each, Fred VanVleet added 18, Jabari Smith Jr. put up 14, and Reed Sheppard chipped in 13 off the bench.

“It means we're sharing the ball, sometimes reluctantly, but we're sharing the ball,” VanVleet said. “The ball was moving. We kind of understand how the Warriors were going to play defensively, and it was key for us to be able to spread it out and share the sugar a little bit.”

Wednesday was the fifth time this season the Rockets have had at least six players score in double figures. At least five players have scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games, tied with Atlanta and Cleveland for most in the league.

“You don't know whose day it is sometimes as a defense,” Durant said before reading off individual point totals from Wednesday’s game. “20, 14, 19, 19, 18, 13. When you get hit with waves like that, you don't know.”

Plenty in Double Figures

Durant is currently the Rockets’ second-leading scorer, averaging 20.9 points per game, slightly behind Alperen Sengun’s 21.1 points. Smith, VanVleet, Thompson, and Sheppard are all averaging at least 10 points per game, while Tari Eason is right behind them at 9.3 points.

Durant, who has only failed to lead his team in scoring once during the first 19 years of his NBA career, says the balance makes the Rockets tougher to prepare for and defend.

“Sometimes you might have to double with somebody else tonight,” he said. “You might have to show better, different coverages or different scheme than (for) one guy who's gotten hot all of a sudden. 

“When you can have guys come off the bench and get numbers, when you have guys start and get numbers, we got five or six guys in double figures, the next team that's scouting us, they can't just have one thing to stand on, on defense. They got to be able to switch it up throughout the game.”

The Rockets were 20–9 when they had at least six players score in double figures last season and 37–17 when they had at least five players hit that mark. By contrast, Houston’s record was just 15–13 when fewer than five players scored in double digits. Through 12 games this season, the Rockets are already 8–3 when at least five players reach double figures—a formula that has helped propel them to a 9–3 start.