Second Half Slump Dooms Rockets in 123-110 Loss to Thunder
Tale of Two Halves. Bari’s Evolution. Scenery Change.
Houston led by as many as 16 points in the first half on Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough, as this contest was a tale of two halves. The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied in the second half to take over the game, dealing the Rockets a 123-110 defeat at Toyota Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 36 points and rookie Chet Holmgren added 29 points, as OKC dominated the second portion of this matchup, spoiling Houston’s hopes for a victory.
Jabari Smith Jr. had another spectacular performance for the Rockets. Playing against one of the teams that passed on him in the draft, Bari was noticeably more motivated than usual on Sunday night. Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 20 points and 17 rebounds on the night. Fred VanVleet added 20 points for Houston, and Alperen Sengun chipped in 19 points and 12 boards. But once the game reached the six-minute mark in the second quarter, the Rockets were dominated by the Thunder for the rest of the contest.
These two teams will face-off once again in their next game on Tuesday night, as Houston begins a tough three-game road-trip in OKC. The Rockets boast the league’s second worst record on the road, at 5-22, while the Thunder are an impressive 20-6 back at home. The next matchup will be nationally televised on TNT, as Houston aims to get a huge upset win with the eyes of a national audience watching on Tuesday night in OKC.