Rockets Blown Out in 153-121 Defeat to Thunder
Heavy Storm. Third Time’s the Harm. Bad Meets Ugly.
In what was essentially a non-competitive match from the opening tip, the Rockets suffered a 153-121 beatdown at the hands of the OKC Thunder on Saturday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back with 42 points, after scoring only 24 in Wednesday’s matchup between these teams. Josh Christopher and Daishen Nix both scored a career-high 20 points apiece to lead the Rockets, but this was one of the ugliest games of the season for Houston.
The Rockets trailed by as many as 45 points, as this contest was never competitive. After beating OKC twice earlier this season, Houston found the road waters of Paycom Center more difficult to navigate than the friendly confines of Toyota Center.
Up next, the Rockets will now return home to face the Sacramento Kings for two matchups, the final games at Toyota Center before the All-Star Break. Houston plays the Kings first on Monday, and then on Wednesday, before heading back on a three-game road-trip before the All-Star break begins. Houston will be playing a tough, third-seeded Sacramento team, but it’s hard to imagine a worse result than Saturday night’s affair in OKC… so the only direction the Rockets can go from here is up.