When it mattered most, the Houston Rockets managed to find their way to a promising victory after grinding a way to a hard-fought 119-116 victory against the best in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. While they still remain in their same spots, this win shows the massive growth that the Rockets have enjoyed so far in this season.

The two teams met back in November 9th, where Chet Holmgren led the way in OKC’s 126-109 victory with 29 points. With the sophomore big man out with an injury, the Thunder had to find ways to win. They had Isaiah Hartenstein to start in his place, who performed well, but could not keep Alperen Sengun in check as the Rockets rallied its way to a much-needed win.

It was a tight battle from start to finish, and neither team had a clear advantage, and it went down to the wire – with free throws and key defensive stops, but Houston came out on top and proved their worth as a contender when it mattered most. Now they are surely making their presence felt on the big stage now more than ever.

Massive Showdown of Contenders

Fred VanVleet proved that he was a great signing for the Rockets back then as he came up with the only 30-point performance for the team in this game, dropping 38 points to lead all scorers – sinking clutch free throws to keep the game away for good. The Thunder had a great look at the final shot but missed it badly, which could have sent the game to overtime.

Alperen Sengun flirted with a triple-double as he tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists – a classic game of his at this point. He was a force in the paint and battled Hartenstein in the paint, with the latter having 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists for the Thunder.

It was also Dillon Brooks who played the best game of his season so far, finishing with 16 points and 7 rebounds – but his biggest play of the game was being able to catch the ball from a falling Sengun and nailed a turnaround fadeaway jumper, sinking it with just 0.1 left on the shot clock to give Houston a 115-113 lead.

Jabari Smith made his presence felt on the boards with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Green had an off night with just nine points in 34 minutes.

Thunderstruck – But Not Disappointing

Jalen Williams struggled to shoot the ball well for OKC, but he did come alive in the fourth to finish with 22 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was also consistent from start to finish as he led the Thunder with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists on an efficient shooting night.

Luguentz Dort did a fantastic job of defending Houston’s guards all night long, and he was efficient with 6 points and 6 assists, but fouled out late – which proved to be pivotal for OKC’s defense. Cason Wallace, on the other hand, was clutch in this game and was shown to be quite the strong guard as he nearly had a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds.

OKC has lost a game after winning four in a row, but still holds the top spot of the Western Conference. The Thunder now returns home for a clash with the Utah Jazz for the NBA Cup Group Stage. Houston, on the other hand, will battle the Sacramento Kings on the road.