12-14-2024
LAS VEGAS – the OKC Thunder broke a close game wide open with a 70-point second-half assault to beat the Houston Rockets, 111-96.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for OKC while big man Isaiah Hartenstein added 21 and 8 boards. Jalen Smith pinched in 20.
The win, which played out in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 17,937 at the T-Mobile Arena, catapulted the Thunder to the 2024 NBA Cup Finals where they will face the Milwaukee Bucks who dismissed the Atlanta Hawks, 110-102, in the other semifinal match-up.
“Our offense comes and goes,” Smith said of his team’s slow start. “We we’re getting the same looks. I think we slowed down a little bit. There’s so much going on in these games, kind of had to setlle in the first half but our defense was great so that carried the whole game.”
That defense was superb all night, holding powerhouse Houston to just 36.5 percent from the field (35-of-96) and 23.9 percent from 3-point distance (11-of-46.)
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 19 off the bench but star guard Jalen Green was held to just 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
