HOUSTON — Rockets legends Hakeem Olajuwon, Rudy Tomjanovich, Elvin Hayes, and Yao Ming — the latter making a rare Toyota Center appearance for the first time in years — were all in attendance for Friday’s home opener of the 2025-26 regular season.

It looked symbolic, perhaps even passing the torch to a future Hall of Famer who will have the Rockets on his résumé once his career is finished. The ideal scenario, of course, is for Kevin Durant to bring a championship to Houston for the first time since Olajuwon and Tomjanovich (the latter as coach) did so in the 1995 NBA Finals.

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Despite a loss for the team, Durant held up his end of the bargain. The 15-time NBA All-Star excelled in the Rockets’ home opener, scoring 37 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a 115-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Durant also made all three of his 3-point attempts and 16-of-18 free throws (88.9%).

In contrast, Houston’s five recent first-round draft picks — Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard — all struggled from an efficiency perspective (box score). So, despite Durant’s elite efficiency, it wasn’t enough for the team to win.

With 60 points in his first two games, Durant now owns the highest total by a Rockets player in his first two games since James Harden had 82 points at the start of the 2012-13 season. During that stretch, the two-time champion is averaging 30 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and 43% from 3-point range.

Even so, against the Pistons, Durant felt he could have done more to help his team get its first win of the season. No matter what the statistics show, as someone who constantly works on his game, Durant is quick to admit his mistakes and takes responsibility for his part in a team loss.

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“I missed nine shots, I really felt like I could have really been 18-for-18,” Durant said when asked about his performance. “I missed some good looks, and some went in-and-out, I got to my spot on those nine (missed) shots, and maybe I rushed it sometimes and maybe I didn’t follow through sometimes, but I feel like I could have made nine more shots… and that would have been the game for us.”

After shooting 4-of-10 (40%) in the first half and with Houston trailing at halftime, 63-56, the 37-year-old superstar showed the home crowd why the Rockets recently gave him a two-year, $90 million contract extension.

Durant took over the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points (including 12 straight for the Rockets, at one point) while giving his team a chance to win a tough, physical game. Earlier on, the Pistons lost their starting center, Jalen Duren, after he was ejected for throwing an elbow at Rockets guard Amen Thompson.

“It’s a balance,” Durant said postgame when asked about when he wants to take over a game. “I felt like when I came back in that fourth quarter, I got aggressive. Made them double me, and I think we got some good looks there. We made them (Pistons) put two (defenders) on the ball, and we will make those plays going forward.”

What Durant has added to the Rockets is an efficient scorer capable of altering the opposing team’s defensive scheme.

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“I mean, KD is KD,” said Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham when asked how Durant changes the offensive look for the Rockets. “He’s just so hard to guard and puts a lot of pressure on you. You see he kept them in the game, he just had bursts that put a lot of pressure on us. It’s definitely another thing you have to worry about, with him being on the floor.”

The Rockets’ offense has been stagnant at times in the first two games, which is expected as head coach Ime Udoka searches for the right players to build some on-court continuity.

With point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined by a torn ACL in his right knee, Udoka has used his signature “double big” lineup featuring Alperen Sengun at forward and Steven Adams at center. Defensively, the lineup is often effective, but Houston has struggled offensively in its half-court sets.

Because of his faith in the Rockets’ coaching staff, Durant believes this issue will be resolved soon.

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“That’s why coaches get paid the big bucks; they got to make those tough decisions,” Durant said. “It’s always good having a versatile team, but knowing once you throw these different lineups out there, it’s the toughest job as a coach. So, we’ll be patient and keep growing and keep figuring things out. But defensively, we’re pretty solid.”

More: Rockets fall to 0-2 as Houston’s young prospects all struggle versus Pistons

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets, Kevin Durant working to find ‘balance’ amid 0-2 start