The Houston Rockets are intimately familiar with Kevin Durant. Rockets coach Ime Udoka played against Durant, coached against him, and was an assistant in Brooklyn during Durant’s All-Star 2020-21 season.

Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant had high praise for one of the most impressive young teams in the NBA. While speaking to reporters following Wednesday's 119-111 loss to the Houston Rockets, Durant spoke glowingly about his opponents,

I got mad respect for teams like this,” Suns star Kevin Durant said of the Rockets. He singled out Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Ime Udoka.

The Houston Rockets (33-20) play the first of their final two games before the NBA All-Star break on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns (26-27) at Toyota Center. The Rockets are hoping to start a new win streak after they finally ended a six-game losing streak on Sunday against the Raptors.

Kevin Durant carried the short-handed Phoenix Suns with his game-high 37 points, but they fell in the final two minutes at the Houston Rockets, 119-111, on Wednesday. In the second of back-to-back games,

The Phoenix Suns (26-27) play at the Houston Rockets (33-20) on Wednesday, airing on Arizona's Family (Ch. 3 TV) at 6:30 p.m. This is the Suns' final game before the NBA's San Francisco All-Star Weekend break beginning Thursday.