NBA: On home court, Thunder dominate Rockets for 2nd straight time
FILE – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points to pace five Oklahoma City players in double figures as the host Thunder rolled to a 133-96 victory over the reeling Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
The Thunder earned a season series split with Houston by throttling the Rockets for the second time in as many home meetings. Oklahoma City scored a franchise-record 153 points in its 32-point win on Feb. 4 after dropping the first two meetings in Houston by a combined 19 points.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 42 points late in the fourth quarter in coasting to its fourth victory in six games.
Gilgeous-Alexander also contributed six assists and two blocks, and his pull-up jumper with 3:37 remaining in the first half gave the Thunder their first 30-point lead of the night at 68-37.
Behind Jalen Green, who scored 11 consecutive points for Houston, the Rockets sliced that margin to 20 points before the Thunder pushed to a 76-54 lead at the intermission. To add injury to insult, the Rockets lost Green to a groin strain late in the second quarter. He did not return.
Luguentz Dort added 15 points for the Thunder, while Josh Giddey paired 13 points with six assists. Jalen Williams also tallied 13 points for the Thunder, who posted 64 points in the paint. Oklahoma City finished 40 of 47 at the free-throw line and scored 24 points off 18 Houston turnovers.
Green scored 14 points despite 3-of-10 shooting, while rookies Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason added 15 and 10 points, respectively. Houston took its seventh consecutive loss since defeating the Thunder 112-106 in Houston on Feb. 1.
Williams had six points as the Thunder rode a 10-0 run to an early 15-5 lead. Oklahoma City led by as many as 20 points in the first quarter while the Rockets unraveled as Jae’Sean Tate, Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba all were assessed technical fouls in the period.
Houston also shot 5 of 22 and surrendered 24 paint points in the first. The Rockets still trailed by 20 when TyTy Washington stroked a 3-pointer with 8:57 left in the second quarter. But the Thunder responded with a 12-4 run that included two 3-pointers by Lindy Waters III and second-chance baskets from Kenrich Williams and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
