Rockets Host Thunder in Battle of West’s Top Teams
Looking Up. Fair Punishment. Home Pit Stop.
After back-to-back overtime wins on the road, the Rockets got three well-deserved days of rest over the Thanksgiving holiday. Tonight, they host the only team they’re looking up at in the Western Conference standings: the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC sits in first place with a 15-4 record. Houston holds sole position of the second spot with a 14-6 mark to start the season. No one expected the Rockets to be in second place as we near the quarter pole mark of this season. But now, Houston has a chance to narrow the gap between first and second with a win tonight at Toyota Center.
The Thunder won the first matchup between these teams in blowout fashion, 126-107, back on November 8th in OKC. This time the game will be in the Rockets house, and the Thunder are dealing with a few injuries. Most notably, star center Chet Holmgren is out for an extended time with a hip injury, and won’t play in tonight’s contest. Alex Caruso is also out of this matchup for OKC with an injury. However, they have former Rocket Isaiah Hartenstein back in their lineup. Hartenstein grabbed a monstrous 18 rebounds in the Thunder’s previous win over the Lakers on Friday night. Alperen Sengun’s hustle and improvement will once again be tested tonight against the gritty and efficient Hartenstein.
Houston is seeking to avenge that blowout loss earlier this year in OKC, and serve out a dose of fair punishment for the team formerly known as the Supersonics. The Thunder are really the only team who have out-classed the Rockets this entire season. Besides the loss in OKC, all of Houston’s defeats have been close competitive, with the Rockets having a chance to win despite ultimately losing. They never had a chance the first time around in OKC, but Houston will try to turn the proceedings in their favor as they play round two on their home court. This tilt marks the end of a four-game road-trip for the Thunder, who are seeking a perfect trip with a win in H-Town. The Rockets are aiming to show OKC why this will be their toughest stop, and deal them a loss on Sunday night.
Tonight’s game is a bit of a home pit-stop for Houston. This matchup follows back-to-back road games last week, and after this game, the Rockets head out on a three-game road-trip on the west coast. Houston has the rest advantage tonight as they’ve had three days off. The Thunder last played late Friday night in Los Angeles, beating the Lakers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points in the first matchup between these teams, and the superstar guard is having another MVP-caliber season. SGA scored 36 points in their most recent win. Hopefully, the Terror Twins can slow down SGA in their second meeting this season against the Thunder. If tonight’s game is close and goes down to crunch time, SGA’s performance will likely be the deciding factor in who win this contest.
In his best game of the season, Jalen Green is coming off a season-high 41 point-performance in the squad’s last match, a win over the Sixers on Wednesday. Green struggled in Houston’s first game in OKC, scoring only 14 points. The Rockets need an aggressive minded Green tonight if they want to beat the best team in the West, and edge closer to first place in the standings. Expect a closer contest in round two between these Western foes, as the Rockets try and continue their climb up the standings.
Toyota Center: Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Oklahoma City Thunder (15-4): Blue
Houston Rockets (14-6): Red
Tip-Off: 6:00 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass