Apr 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball inside against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets entered Friday night’s bout with the Oklahoma City Thunder the hungrier team.
Having clinched the No. 1-seed long ago, Oklahoma City was only searching for a potential 70-win season, having made it to 64 victories before facing off against Houston. The Rockets, however, have yet to clinch the No. 2 seed, and were looking to fend off the likes of Denver and Los Angeles.
Still, it certainly didn’t discount the game itself, as Houston cruised to a 14-point front-to-back win over the Thunder, who saw an off-night by their season standards.
Jalen Green led the way in the scoring department with 34 points, five assists and four rebounds. He was followed closely by All-Star Alperen Sengun with 31 points, four assists and three steals.
Guard Amen Thompson was vital in guarding soon-to-be MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, nabbing two steals and one block to go along with his 16 points, six assists and eight rebounds.
The Rockets threw a Green-led haymaker in the first quarter, jumping out to a 32-22 lead and never looking back.
It was a show of strength for Houston, who’d only beaten OKC once in four tries coming into it, and instead joined Dallas, Golden State and Minnesota as the only teams to have beaten the Thunder multiple times all season.
Not only that, the Rockets are already being counted out of the NBA postseason, to some degree, with many experts and fans expecting deeper runs from the Nuggets, Lakers and Warriors opposed to Houston. Friday’s contest was just one example of the team’s two-way prowess that’s led to a likely cemented No. 2 standing. The team hit big shots and turned the Thunder over more than usual, showcasing just how good they can be when they’re on.
The Rockets are set to make the postseason for the first time since 2020, and are playing their best basketball with their healthiest product yet as the regular season draws to a close.
