Rockets Struggle Defensively, Leads to Blowout Loss to Thunder

The Houston Rockets couldn't contain the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, leading to a blowout loss 126-107.

Nov 8, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots beside Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Coming off of a strong victory over the San Antonio Spurs, The Houston Rockets flew into Oklahoma City to face the Thunder on Friday night.

The Rockets got off to a hot start against the Spurs on Wednesday night which led to a triumphant win, but that was not the case against the Thunder.

Star guard Jalen Green came out the gates hot for Houston with a quick 12 points through two quarters. His play, however, wasn't enough to keep up with Oklahoma City's star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams who put up a combined 47 points in the first half, leading it to a 75-51 lead.

The Rockets tried to rally behind veteran guard Fred VanVleet who caught fire in the second half, but the first half deficit proved to be too much to overcome, leading to a blowout loss to the Thunder 126-107.

Houston simply was just outplayed in every facet of the game on Friday night. It had no answers for Gilgeous-Alexander who scored 29 points on 68.8% shooting, and Holmgren who added 29 points on 57.1% shooting.

The Rockets also struggled on offense as Green was effectively taken out of the game by Oklahoma City's 3-and-D anchors in Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso in the second half, and couldn't pivot to another guy to help carry the load on that end of the floor.

Star center Alperen Şengün had a quiet night against Holmgren, scoring just 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. Him, along with most of Houston's players Friday night, could not buy a bucket around the rim, something very uncharacteristic for a team that relies heavily on its paint scoring on a game-to-game basis.

Despite the blowout loss, the Rockets sit at 5-4 on the season and will look to get back on track Sunday in Detroit as they face Cade Cunningham and the Pistons.

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