OKC comes out punching in blowout win
OKLAHOMA CITY — When Thunder coach Mark Daigneault kept talking before the game about “punching” the Rockets first and for 48 minutes, it might have been obvious what the Rockets had waiting for them.
If not, it took only a few minutes before the rout was on, the Thunder pouncing on the Rockets in a start-to-finish annihilation on the way to a 153121 blowout win Saturday at Paycom Center, the Rockets’ most lopsided loss of the season with the most points they have allowed or the Thunder have scored.
Every ingredient to cook up a rout was there even before the opening tip. All of them.
The Thunder were tired of losing to the Rockets, having dropped four straight including both meetings this season. They were off since Wednesday’s loss in Houston while the Rockets were playing the second half of a back-to-back.
The Thunder came into the game 15-11 at home while the Rockets were 521 on the road. And the Rockets were shorthanded, playing without Eric Gordon, Jae’Sean Tate and Kevin Porter Jr.
The Rockets were helpless to even distract OKC All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who made 9 of 14 shots to score 28 points — and then played in the second half, too. He finished with 42 in 30 minutes.
The Thunder also dominated with hustle. By halftime, they had outscored the Rockets, 15-4, in second-chance points, 18-4, on the fast break, with the Rockets taking nothing away.
It took the Rockets until 4:16 was left before halftime to make a 3-pointer after missing their first nine. The poor shooting, however, was far from the Rockets’ greatest problem, with the Thunder doing anything they pleased, pushing the lead to as much as 45 in the third quarter and then moving to clear the bench.
Not easy being Green
Guard Jalen Green returned after missing the Rockets’ previous three games with a bruised right calf (and going 2 of 9 in the blowout loss to the Cavaliers in the game he was hurt).
He looked healthy, but rusty, and never comfortable in the first half, when he mostly took off-balance shots or on tough, low percentage drives.
He began the second half seeming much more under control. He swished a 3. He missed his next attempt, but it was in rhythm in ways he was not in the first half. After a slick drive to beat the shot clock, Green put in another 3. He finished with 12 points on 4 of 15 shooting with four assists.
That was not enough to change anything about the blowout the Rockets could not escape. But it might have helped shake off some rust.
The bright(ish) side
If nothing else, TyTy Washington Jr. and Josh Christopher put the ball in the basket, something few teammates could do as regularly. The Rockets’ late first-round picks the past two seasons, who have spent much of the season waiting for playing time, both had their season highs.
Washington and Christopher led the Rockets with 20 points apiece, making 16 of 27 shots.
Also, the Rockets won the opening tip.