Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets 12/29/12: Video Highlights and Recap
The Oklahoma City Thunder (23-6) ended the first half on a 16-0 run to take a 68-50 lead over the Houston Rockets (16-14) in Houston on Saturday. They cruised in the second half to win, 124-94.
As that big run to end the first half suggests, the Rockets went on prolonged stretches of offensive ineptitude in this one, and they wound up shooting just 39.8 percent from the field for the game.
The Thunder did not suffer from similar problems. They shot 47.9 percent from the floor, and they had five players hit double digits in scoring. One of those players was Kevin Martin, who dumped in 19 while facing the team that sent him packing as part of the deal for James Harden.
Harden wound up with 25 points against the team he helped reach the finals last year.
While this was a fun and fast-paced game, it was not the cleanest—as ESPN highlights with this tweet.
"Thunder-Rockets combined for 46 turnovers (most combined turnovers in any NBA game this season)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 30, 2012"
Check out the full box score here.
Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook
In just 30 minutes, Westbrook ran up 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting. He also added eight assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Not a bad day's work.
What's Next
This wraps up the tidy one-game road trip for the Thunder as they will return home to host the Phoenix Suns on New Year's Eve.
For the Rockets, this was the first of a three-game homestand. They will host the Hawks on Monday and the Hornets on Wednesday.
