Thunder lose to Rockets in frustrating fashion
HOU 119 OKC 116
The good news: Houston has made Thunder/Rockets a real rivalry. The bad: losing to close rivals can be quite annoying. The Thunder (15-5) couldn't complete a perfect four-game road trip, dropping to the Rockets (15-6) who are now just a half-game behind OKC for #1 in the West.
The annoying: The game got chippy and bogged down by free throws (the teams combined for 64 attempts) in the second half. Naturally, that meant 11 FTA for Shai (25% more than his average) and 14 for Fred Van Vleet (250% more than his average). Lu Dort fouled out. Dylan Brooks was there. You get the drift.
Vorld Vide Vleet scored 38 on the night, hitting three clutch shots to tie or put the Rockets up from the 4:40 to 1:29 stretch of the fourth quarter. He then hit four free throws to put the Thunder away during a failed foul-and-catchup sequence from OKC. The most upsetting seconds of the FVV Show came during a bewildering possession when the Thunder nearly let the clock run down instead of fouling (they must have been sick of the stoppages, too), giving an already-frustrating game an anticlimactic finish.
The not-so-annoying: Shai was great and there were several more bright spots from the developing Jalen Williams/Isaiah Hartenstein tandem.
Next up: The last game of NBA Cup pool play, against Utah at home on Tuesday.
Thunder fall to 15-5.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) December 2, 2024
Close, tough game down to the wire between the West's current #1 and #2 seeds.
3-1 road trip.
Next up: Jazz in OKC on Tuesday night for a chance to advance in the NBA Cup.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes a “wow” play at least once a night. pic.twitter.com/M8Mln2zWxT
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) December 2, 2024
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 2, 2024
32 Points
8 Rebounds
5 Assists
52% FG pic.twitter.com/RdxakHMU8W
JDub and iHart have combined for 3 lob dunks tonight.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) December 2, 2024
Those two have been playing well off each other since the jump.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 5 Thunder games, 5 double doubles.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) December 2, 2024
Isaiah Hartenstein vs Houston Rockets tonight
— 𝐙 (@homahoops) December 2, 2024
19 PTS
13 REB
4 AST
1 BLK
1 STL
9-12 FGM pic.twitter.com/FoysCreUfr
Sorry, I undersold it.
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) December 2, 2024
4 fouls in the span of 9 seconds lol. https://t.co/4QcrIkTkq3 pic.twitter.com/1vUsuyb03E
You guys will never guess which team tonight got way more free throws and had the game’s leader in FTA. https://t.co/DDw2O9MHV9
— THE UNCONTESTED PODCAST (@The_Uncontested) December 2, 2024
Fredward VanVleet was the foul grifter they’re all tweeting Shai was tonight, btw.
— Stephen Dolan (@SteveThunderfan) December 2, 2024
And that’s all I have to say about that.
The smile and nod
— Topić: Thunder Podcast (@OKCTopicThunder) December 2, 2024
Shai is so unbothered lmao pic.twitter.com/ODJwXj9fCR
Tari Eason and other Rockets players enjoying their close win over the Thunder
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) December 2, 2024
pic.twitter.com/GSnNYrE3N8
By the way I went through scenarios and there's a very good chance we get Thunder-Rockets in the Cup Knockout stages.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 2, 2024
