Rockets Rallied to Defeat Thunder 119-98 in Houston
Jabari Smith Jr. led the offensive effort with 30 points, while Alperen Sengun returned to the starting lineup with a triple-double.
By Marta Gray ·
The Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98 on Saturday night. The home team secured the victory through strong three-point shooting and a second-half surge that extended their lead.
Jabari Smith Jr. recorded 30 points and nine rebounds for Houston. He made 10 of 18 field goal attempts, including 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. Marcus Smart contributed 24 points, hitting 7 of 10 three-pointers. The Rockets shot 46% from the field and made 18 of 41 three-point attempts as a team.
Alperen Sengun returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games due to lower back soreness. He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. Kevin Durant scored 14 points for the Rockets. Fred VanVleet sat out for right knee injury management, and Reed Sheppard missed his second consecutive game with low back soreness.
The Thunder struggled from deep, making only 10 of 32 three-point attempts while shooting 44% from the field. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Kenrich Williams and Bennett Stirtz each scored 11 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein and Jared McCain added 10 points apiece.
Houston took a 37-30 lead with one minute left in the first quarter. The Rockets then built an 18-4 run to establish a 55-34 advantage with 6:10 remaining in the first half. Oklahoma City responded by outscoring Houston 17-8 over the final six minutes of the half, narrowing the deficit to 62-51 at the break.
The Rockets opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run. Smith hit a three-pointer with 10 minutes remaining in the quarter, extending the lead to 19 points. The margin never fell below 12 points for the remainder of the game. This marked the second straight loss for the Thunder after they started the season with four wins.
The Thunder played their first game after announcing on Friday that Chet Holmgren would miss at least two months with a right knee injury. Houston will host Boston on Monday night, while Oklahoma City travels to Cleveland for its next contest.
