The Houston Rockets defeated the Sacramento Kings,132-112, at Toyota Center on Saturday night.

The Rockets (8-7) came into the contest looking to put their uncharacteristic early-season struggles even further in the rearview mirror against an improved Kings (8-8) squad. Houston got off to a good start in that regard by building a solid 71-59 halftime lead on the strength of red-hot shooting. They kept their foot on the gas in the third quarter, racking up another 38 points and adding 11 points to their advantage in the process. That sealed the win for Houston, which shot 56.8 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent from three-point range.

Buddy Hield led the way for the Kings with 23 points, a total he supplemented with seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. De'Aaron Fox posted 19 points, three assists, one rebound and one steal. Marvin Bagley III was extended time during the blowout defeat and posted 16 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one block over 27 minutes. Bogdan Bogdanovic poured in 14 points.

James Harden paced the Rockets with 34 points and added eight assists, four rebounds and three steals. Chris Paul supplied 24 points, nine assists, four rebounds and one steal. Clint Capela followed with a 23-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included five blocks. Gerald Green led the bench with 17 points, while Eric Gordon contributed 11.

The Kings return home to tangle with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday evening, while the Rockets remain home and take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.