Thunder Struggle on Back Half of Back-to-Back
The Oklahoma City Thunder took a tough 118-105 loss to the Houston Rockets, which saw their record drop to 8-12 on the season.
The 5-14 Rockets jumped on the Thunder early in the game, as most teams have, and per usual the Thunder made a post-timeout comeback. That wouldn’t last, though, as a 42 point second quarter from the Rockets gave them a very comfortable halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the Rockets didn’t let off the gas, as they finished the quarter with a 95-73 lead over the Thunder.
Through those three quarters, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting. He didn’t play the fourth quarter, though, because the Rockets kept putting points on the board.
The fourth quarter was a closer margin, too, as were the first and third quarters. The second quarter was the death quarter for OKC. The Thunder won the final frame 32-23, which made the score appear closer than the game was.
This game definitely proved to be the second night of a back-to-back for the Thunder, but the Rockets were in the same position, but their hot second quarter carried them in this game.
Josh Giddey was solid, too, with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting while tacking on 5 rebounds and 2 assists. From the looks of it, Giddey could be gearing up to get out of his sophomore slump.
Aaron Wiggins was arguably the most help the two had, as he put together a 15-point game on 5-of-10 shooting and 3-of-6 on 3-pointers. He proved to have been ready despite seeing DNP’s.
The Rockets’ starting lineup all put together double-digit performances, with an additional one coming off the bench. That includes two 20-point performances.
The rough game will be one the Thunder will want to forget as they head into their next matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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