Rockets vs. Thunder: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
In a battle of statistical monsters, James Harden and the Houston Rockets outlasted Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night to capture a thrilling 102-99 win at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The loss prevented the Thunder from securing a seventh straight win, but Westbrook made history with his seventh straight triple-double (27 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST). According to ESPN.com's Royce Young, Westbrook tied Michael Jordan with the longest triple-double streak since 1989 by virtue of Friday's prolific performance.
Westbrook now leads the NBA with 12 triple-doubles on the season, while Harden—who sits one spot back with four—finished the night with 21 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.
Eric Gordon added 17 points off the bench in the winning effort, and he's now made at least three shots from beyond the arc in eight straight games.
In a matchup that pitted the Thunder's seventh-ranked defense against Houston's fourth-ranked offense, neither side proved capable of imposing its will during the first half.
Westbrook stayed the course and stuffed the stat sheet to help keep the Thunder afloat, but six turnovers in his first 17 minutes prevented the Thunder from establishing a rhythm.
As for the Rockets, Harden finished the first two quarters with eight points and didn't record his first made field goal until there was five minutes, nine seconds remaining in the second frame.
CBSSports.com' Matt Moore provided a concise characterization of the initial proceedings:
"Rockets and Thunder are playing in sludge. It’s not really defense, either, they’re both just playing badly.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 10, 2016"
While lethargy largely consumed both sides in the early going, Rockets swingman Sam Dekker provided a show-stopping highlight when he caught the ball streaking up the right wing and packed one home over Thunder big man Enes Kanter:
The Rockets built a six-point lead by the break, and they did so despite a shaky shooting display riddled with misses from point-blank range, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrated:
Houston's lead ballooned to nine points by the time the third quarter came to a close, but the Thunder clawed back throughout the fourth quarter and used a 13-2 run to cut the Rockets' lead to two with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.
At that point, momentum had shifted entirely, as Westbrook started to assert his dominance and knife through Houston's defense with aplomb.
However, the Thunder came up empty time and again with the game on the line and couldn't summon the performances from supplementary scorers necessary to pull past Houston on a night when the Rockets bench scored 44 points, as Young noted:
Looking ahead, the Thunder will need to harness some more production from their role players to remain competitive when Westbrook isn't around to shoulder the load.
Oklahoma City entered Friday night with a net rating of minus-12.2 points per 100 possessions when Westbrook wasn't in the game, and that mark is indicative of how the offense has struggled to produce whenever he's not around to bail it out and grab a lion's share of the defense's attention.
And with a three-game stretch coming up that includes showdowns with the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz, the Thunder will need to find some more scoring balance—especially from their wings—if they hope to close December strong.
The story differs for the Rockets, who have a soft upcoming schedule that could help extend their winning streak in a big way.
Now winners of five in a row, the Rockets will square off against the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves over their next five games.
With such a forgiving slate at their fingertips, don't be surprised if the Rockets heat up in a big way before Christmas.
Postgame Reaction
The Norman Transcript's Fred Katz relayed video of Westbrook opting not to discuss his seventh straight triple-double:
In the Rockets locker room, the focus was on Beverley—who held Westbrook to 16.7 percent shooting when he operated as his primary defender, per ESPN Stats & Info.
"I really feel like I’m one of the best defensive players in the league," Beverley said, according to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "I’m trying to show that every night."
As for the near future, Beverley said he issued a statement to the Rockets in the locker room following Friday's big win.
"This win doesn't mean anything if we fall short tomorrow," he added, per Feigen.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com.
