Inside The Thunder

OKC Thunder Outplayed "In All Facets" Against Rockets

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault explained why his team suffered its fourth double-digit loss of the season.

Ethan Baca

Apr 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a made basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a made basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started Friday night's clash against the No. 2 Houston Rockets on the right foot, making three mid-range jumpers, a floater and a left-handed layup for 10 first-quarter points. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star did not shoot a field goal in his second-quarter stint and missed eight of 13 second-half attempts. He finished with 22 points, his lowest since scoring 21 in a Feb. 21 blowout win over the Utah Jazz.

Gilgeous-Alexander said he "missed some shots I usually make," and credited the Rockets' zone defense for taking the ball out of his hands. Still, Jalen Williams' 33 on 13-for-21 shooting, Chet Holmgren's 20 on 6-for-8 3-point shooting and Isaiah Hartenstein's 16 on 8-for-9 shooting were ultimately not enough to offset Houston's superior effort and execution. The Rockets secured a 125-111 victory and improved to 51-27, continuing their excellent season after going .500 last year.

"(The Rockets) outplayed us for the majority of the game in all facets," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Gotta give them credit. They were ready to play. They were very sharp. Took a couple of our punches when we tried to claw back into the game. They were the better team and deserved to win."

Rockets guard Jalen Green has scored 30 or more points 14 times this season — with his team going 13-1 in those games. He racked up a game-high 34 on 24 shots, making five of six fourth-quarter attempts. Green nailed two difficult mid-range fadeaways in the closing minutes to seal the deal.

First-time All-Star center Alperen Sengun recorded his seventh 30-point outing of the season by making 11 of 21 shots and 9 of 12 free throws. He thrived in low post situations against Chet Holmgren in the first half and Isaiah Hartenstein in the second half, making numerous hook shots and floaters.

Green and Sengun were only the 10th and 11th 30-point scorers Oklahoma City has allowed through 77 games.

"Every team has a formula, and their formula offensively is centered around Green and Sengun," Daigneault said. "Those guys had their way tonight. They were very comfortable and in rhythm."

Sengun started next to big man Steven Adams for the first time this season. The pair has tallied an outrageous +36.1 net rating in 134 non-low-leverage minutes, raising the Rockets' No. 1 32.0% offensive rebound percentage to 48.2% when they share the floor.

Adams grabbed six offensive rebounds, nearly matching the Thunder (seven) on his own, and converted four putback layups throughout the game.

"They have a formula on the glass, and I thought they got that job done as a team as well," Daigneault said. "We didn't force them away from their formula — that's been a strength of our team this year. We didn't do it tonight and they made us pay for it."

The Thunder suffered its 13th overall loss and fourth double-digit defeat of the 2024-25 campaign — a foreign, uncomfortable result after experiencing such consistent success. Oklahoma City is 11-1 following a loss, averaging a +15.7 point differential in those contests.

"Because we don't lose a lot, every loss feels bigger than it should," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We don't like the feeling and we have more sense of urgency going into the next game. I think we've seen that throughout the season — we typically come out of losses with a pretty good edge to us and hopefully we do the same in the next game."

The Thunder plays the first of two straight home games against the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. CST. The rematch will take place this Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. CST.

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Ethan Baca
ETHAN BACA

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