Rockets Silence Thunder, 110-101, Win 9th Straight at Home
Holiday Season. Glass-Eaters. Jekyll and Hyde.
Adding another impressive performance to their resume, the Rockets quieted the Thunder en route to a 110-101 victory on Wednesday night, and their ninth straight home win. Houston had contributions across the board, most notably Aaron Holiday. The youngest Holiday has quietly earned a spot in the rotation, and he had one of the best game of his career against the Thunder. Holiday scored a season-high 22 points, including a career-high six three-pointers on 6-for-7 shooting from deep. He also had 6 boards and 4 assists, as Holiday continues to seize full advantage of his playing time. Once Amen Thompson is ready to return to action, Holiday’s role may be reduced, but he’s forced his way into this Houston rotation with his exemplary play. Dillon Brooks led the Rockets in scoring with 23 points, and was exceptional on the defensive end. Alperen Sengun registered 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, as he continues his efficient campaign towards an All-Star bid. Jalen Green scored 15 points on 50% shooting, and Fred VanVleet supplied 11 points and 9 assists for Houston, who continues to persevere at Toyota Center.
The Rockets dominated the battle on the boards, imposing their size to help win this game. Houston out-rebounded OKC, 53-30, thanks in large part to Jabari Smith Jr., who had a career-high 18 rebounds on the night. Besides attacking the glass, the Rockets were also a force defensively in this matchup. The Thunder entered this game as the best three-point shooting team in the league, and averaging about 120 points per game. Houston held the Thunder to 101 points on a dismal 27.6% shooting from three, well below their averages. OKC also entered this game as one of the league’s best road teams, boasting a 7-2 record away from home. The Rockets didn’t blink, as a fast start (Houston outscored OKC 32-22 in the first quarter), allowed them to be in control for the rest of the contest. Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Jae’Sean Tate, and the entire Rockets defense did a fantastic job on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA still scored 33 points, but they were tough buckets on great defensive contests from Houston defenders. The squad also didn’t allow SGA to get his teammates going, holding the Thunder superstar to only 6 assists. The Rockets built a 17-point lead in the fourth-quarter, and SGA almost brought the Thunder back by himself, but he had little to no help. The second highest scoring OKC player was Jalen Williams, who chipped in with 13 points. Sengun dominated his matchup with Chet Holmgren. Houston’s stellar defense held Holmgren to a career-low 4 points, and while he did record 6 blocks, the Thunder’s rookie sensation never found his groove against the Rockets.
Securing their ninth home win in a row, the Houston Rockets continue their Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde journey to start this season. The winning streak is the longest at home for the Rockets since December of 2018, back when James Harden was the face of the franchise. The disparity between venues for Houston is almost unfathomable. The Rockets are now 9-1 at home, but remain a winless 0-8 on the road. A glance at Houston’s opponents on the road so far will explain why they haven’t quite captured their first win away from home. The squad has had the toughest schedule so far in the NBA. It’s admirable that the team is still at .500 with a record of 9-9 so far through this incredibly tough stretch to begin the campaign. With a visit already to Denver, Dallas, three trips to Los Angeles, and one to Golden State, the Rockets’ road run so far has been death row. And it doesn’t get any easier next game. They’ll try and snap out of their road spell as they visit the Denver Nuggets for the fourth and final time on Friday night. Another tough road test lies ahead, but after Friday’s game… the schedule finally eases up for the Rockets during the holiday season.