Coming off of its first loss of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder showed fans exactly what its version of a response looks like.
The Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets 126-107, using a dominant second quarter to grab the momentum and never give it back. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren led the charge, scoring 29 points each and bringing their usual level of defensive expertise. Holmgren recorded three blocks and Gilgeous-Alexander had a block and a steal and was solid on the perimeter as always.
For Houston, the story of the game was the inability of its offensive stars to get going. Alperen Sengun scored only eleven points on 3-12 shooting and Jalen Green, who is averaging 23 points per game on the season, scored only 14 on an inefficient 5-14. Sengun and Green both had good games against OKC last season. When the teams met in March last season, Green dropped 37-10-7 and led the Rockets to a win in a dazzling performance. In the teams matchup in February last season, Sengun put up 23-11-6 and got the upper hand on Holmgren with his expertise in the post.
Friday, the roles reversed. Holmgren handled Sengun, forcing him into one of his worst performances of the season and limiting his success on the boards by tipping the ball up in the air or blocking his shot. Green had to deal with Lu Dort on the perimeter, which is going to be a struggle for any opposing ball-handler, but a lot of Green’s struggles can be chalked up to him missing shots that he usually makes.
Houston returned the favor, sticking Dillon Brooks on Gilgeous-Alexander, but the reigning MVP runner-up did what he has done to so many over the past three seasons — made him look silly.
Gilgeous-Alexander routinely fried his Team Canada comrade, using his typical blend of drawing fouls, getting to the rim and hitting tough mid-range jumpers. During a stretch in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander was unstoppable, getting wherever he wanted and getting his field goal percentage as high as 91% at one point.
Outside of Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren, nobody was particularly spectacular, but Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso both had good moments offensively which is a good sign for OKC particularly in the case Caruso.
Since arriving in OKC, Caruso has struggled on the offensive end, especially from three. Friday, Caruso went 2-3 from deep. If Caruso can get back to his typical rate from three, he will be a huge boost for an OKC team that is already one of the best in the NBA.
Friday’s game didn’t reveal anything new about OKC, but it’s a good sign that it was able to recover from a demoralizing loss with a resounding win over a good team.
Next on the schedule for the Thunder is a home game against Golden State, who was rolling prior to a 19-point loss to Cleveland. If OKC is able to win, it will establish its position as the best team in the Western Conference, at least at this point in the season.
