The Rockets finished off an impressive two-game homestand at Toyota Center with Friday's dominant 125-111 victory (box score) over the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the exception of the game's opening moments, Houston led wire-to-wire — and mostly by commanding margins.
The Thunder (64-13) still hold the NBA's best record and lost for just the second time in 20 games. Meanwhile, Houston (51-27) is at No. 2 in the Western Conference standings and has won 14 of 16, overall. The Rockets now hold a three-game lead for the second seed with only four regular-season games left to play.
In a potential Western Conference Finals preview, it was Houston's duo of fourth-year prospects that stood out most. Jalen Green finished with a game-high 34 points and 5 assists on 11-of-24 shooting (45.8%) and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line (90.0%), while All-Star center Alperen Sengun added 31 points and 4 assists on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%) and 9-of-12 from the line (75.0%).
"When we want it, there's no team that can beat us in this league," Sengun said postgame.
Alperen Sengun: "When we want it, there's no team that can beat us in this league." pic.twitter.com/1fXgggz9hv
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) April 5, 2025
Featuring a double-big lineup of Sengun and Steven Adams (12 rebounds in 23 minutes), Houston won the rebounding battle, 48-33, and generally controlled the paint versus Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. It also helped that the Rockets had a strong performance off the bench by 6-foot-11 forward Jabari Smith Jr., who grabbed 17 rebounds in 34 minutes.
All-Star forward Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 33 points and 4 assists on 13-of-21 shooting (61.9%). The Rockets held Most Valuable Player (MVP) frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander relatively in check, with Oklahoma City's All-Star guard finishing with 22 points and 8 assists on 10-of-22 shooting (45.5%) and 1-of-6 from 3-point range (16.7%). Strong defense at the point of attack by Amen Thompson (16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks) was a key factor.
Veterna Rockets forward Dillon Brooks missed Friday's game due to a suspension for exceeding the league's technical-foul limit during the 2024-25 regular season. He will be eligible to return in Houston's next game on Sunday night.
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