Rockets make statement against top-seeded Thunder with 125-111 win

On Friday, April 4, the Houston Rockets hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Toyota Center.

The Rockets hopped out to a lead in the game’s early stages and never looked back, cruising to a 125-111 win against the Thunder—the team with the best record in the NBA.

Jalen Green led Houston in scoring with 34 points, while Alperen Sengun was right behind him with 31. Jalen Williams was the Thunder’s leading scorer, finishing with 33 points.

One of the most compelling storylines in the contest was Houston forward Amen Thompson’s defense against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leader to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

Thompson had a strong performance, limiting SGA’s impact on a number of possessions. SGA finished with 22 points—his lowest scoring total since Feb. 21.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said he noticed his team’s heightened physicality during the victory.

“That was one of our most physical games from the start,” Udoka said.

Game recap

First quarter

The Rockets’ first points came after Fred VanVleet stripped Luguentz Dort and pushed the ball down the floor to set up a three-pointer from Jalen Green. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson also scored early, and Houston jumped out to an 11-5 lead.

In the game’s early minutes, Thompson closely guarded Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s biggest offensive threat. He kept SGA from scoring in the game’s first few minutes, but Shai eventually got by Amen with some crossovers and drew a foul on him, which sent Amen to the bench. SGA continued to carry OKC’s offense, and he quickly amassed 10 points on his own. Houston still led at that point, 19-16.

Green really started to find his rhythm in the closing stages of the quarter. Tari Eason found him on a lob, and Green threw down a sick reverse dunk that drew a large applause from the Houston crowd. On the very next play, he drew a foul on a three-pointer and made all three from the stripe.

Houston led at the end of the first quarter, 35-28.

Second quarter

VanVleet and Eason connected on unanswered shots to open the period, lifting Houston to a 40-28 advantage.

From there, the Thunder went for a stretch with SGA and Chet Holmgren off the floor. The Rockets went big to match the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein and lanky wings, with a Steven Adams-Jabari Smith Jr.-Alperen Sengun front court. This approach paid dividends, as Sengun and Adams cleaned the glass and commanded a 6-0 scoring run with inside scores.

Now facing a 50-37 deficit, the Thunder took a timeout and put Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren back in the game.

The stoppage didn’t do much to stop the bleeding, as triples by Thompson and Jae’Sean Tate eventually extended Houston’s lead to 20 points. The Thunder ended the half on a 7-0 scoring run that somewhat stopped the bleeding.

At the half, the Rockets led, 69-53. Sengun led Houston in scoring with 19, while Green added 14 and Thompson had 12. Jalen Williams led the Thunder in scoring with 16.

Third quarter

The Thunder clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter. Hartenstein got OKC’s offense going with inside shots, and a Holmgren connected on a pair of threes to chip into Houston’s lead.

Sengun found success scoring inside, and Tate connected on a pair of threes to keep Houston from totally collapsing. A midrange jumper from Jabari Smith Jr. extended Houston’s lead back to 20, and the Rockets’ led 93-73.

SGA had had a quiet stretch after his initial 10-point burst, but he got going again near the end of the third. He knocked down a midrange jumper, a layup and a huge triple in quick succession, and the Thunder ended the quarter on a 12-3 run.

The Rockets still led at the end of the third, 96-85.

Fourth quarter

The teams continued to battle it out in the fourth quarter, trading blows that saw the Thunder inch closer to a single-digit deficit, before the Rockets would push ahead once again.

Sengun found Thompson cutting to the basket for a nice dish and slam, forcing OKC to take a timeout. Houston was up, 106-95 with 7:40 to play.

As the quarter progressed, the Rockets turned to a slower tempo that was made more effective by their success from three. Every bucket felt like a backbreaker for the Thunder because of how much time was wasted in the possession.

Green and VanVleet knocked down threes, and the Rockets took a timeout with a 118-105 lead and 3:17 left to play.

A few possessions after the stoppage, Sengun got by Holmgren for a nasty spin move and dunk that pushed Houston’s lead to 14 with just over two minutes to play.

Following Sengun’s statement slam, the Thunder called a timeout and took out their starters, essentially throwing in the towel and ensuring the Rockets would win.

The Rockets drained the clock and came away with a 125-111 victory.