The Houston Rockets rebounded from their first loss of the season Saturday night, crushing the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98 at the Toyota Center. Jabari Smith Jr. had 30 points and 9 rebounds, Marcus Smart added 24 points. Houston took advantage of one of the Western Conference’s top teams with a strong start, balanced scoring, and great defense for a 21-point victory.
Smith shot 10-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-12 on 3-pointers. Smart was 7-of-10 on 3-pointers as the Rockets shot 46% as a team
and were 18-of-41 from behind the arc.
Alperen Sengun, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with lower back soreness, finished with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists, and Kevin Durant scored 14 points.
The victory was a strong comeback for Houston after it lost 116-111 to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The Rockets didn’t let the setback linger as they came out with vigor and took an early lead against Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City couldn’t slow the onslaught since the club was able to share out the scoring burden. Houston also got a boost from its effort on defense, making the Thunder struggle for good shots.
The Rockets’ opening quarter set the tone for the rest of the night. Houston led Oklahoma City 35-26 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the defense really tightened up, holding the defense to just 10 points and carrying a 55-36 lead into the half.
Oklahoma City couldn’t find its offensive rhythm in the first half. The Thunder were also without many key players in Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Alex Caruso, resulting in a less experienced lineup against Houston.
The Thunder tried to adjust, but Houston held on and avoided a late-game meltdown like the one it had in the previous night’s game against Dallas. The Rockets played good offense and did a good job of not letting Oklahoma City get anything going to threaten the advantage.
The victory was an especially encouraging one, since Houston made progress in a needed area. The Rockets gave up 40 points in the fourth quarter, squandered an 11-point lead, and struggled on defense against Dallas. Saturday’s performance was a lot better defensive effort and greater control of the game.
The win lifts Houston to 6-1 on the season and continues an amazing start that has the team looking like an early contender in the Western Conference. The Rockets hope to carry that energy into their next game against the Boston Celtics on Monday, November 2, in Boston. As always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for post- and pre-game coverage.
