Thunder and Rockets Mark Places as Forces in the Western Conference in Sunday Matchup

In a highly competitive affair, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets proved their worth to the rest of the NBA as two of its top contenders.

Dec 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) defends as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) controls the ball during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Sunday night in the NBA world featured a battle between the top two teams in the Western Conference ladder — the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.

The Rockets were able to get the upper hand on the Thunder behind Fred VanVleet's 38 points and Alperen Sengun's near triple-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Oklahoma City has been superior compared to Houston over the past few seasons, but the tide has turned for the latter franchise.

Last year, the Rockets jumped from 22 wins to 41 — a vastly improved campaign. They are continuing to build on that progression, as both Jalen Green and Sengun have taken jumps alongside quality veteran play between VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

Whereas the Thunder losing on Sunday would've been a disappointment previously, now, it isn't necessarily an upset. Houston asserted itself as a legitimate contender in the West, even if its sooner than many might've expected. necessarily.

Obviously Oklahoma City would've liked to have gained a clearer hold of the No. 1 seed, but the loss isn't one to get discouraged from. The Rockets aren't a team it can gloss over on the schedule anymore, and Sunday might've been a needed confirmation of that.

The Thunder is also still dealing with injuries down the depth chart despite the debut of Isaiah Hartenstein. Chet Holmgren was expected to miss significant time following his hip fracture, but Alex Caruso has also been absent since Nov. 20 due to his own hip issue.

Over a month into the regular season, Oklahoma City still hasn't gotten to play at full strength — and it probably won't for a few more months. Yet, it's maintained a strong 15-5 record through a historic defense and play from stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

The Thunder and Rockets have met before in the playoffs, most recently in 2020. A rivalry sort of brewed out of it, and that could be potentially renewed based on the on-court gestures and social media interactions following the game.

"I think it’s just because where we’re at in the standings," Williams said on the potential rivalry. "It’s cool to watch their progression with ours. So I guess, yeah, that does add a little bit of fire to it, but I think just in general, where we are in the standings and how well each of the teams are playing... That alone is competition enough, and obviously, they’re a young, good team. It’s fun to play them.”

A playoff matchup between the two teams is certainly realistic if the trajectory continues for both sides. As of now, the West has two clear teams performing above the rest.

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