Prior to tonight’s game, the Oklahoma City Thunder had established themselves as the most resilient team in the NBA this season. Entering the fourth quarter, the Thunder recorded 17 comeback wins in the regular season – one of which came in a 112-107 victory over the Houston Rockets in January.
Seven months later, the Rockets made sure you did not duplicate the same mistake. On Tuesday, Houston opened the Western Conference Quarterfinals with a 123-108 victory over Oklahoma City, inside The Arena in Orlando. With the win, the Rockets hold a 1-0 series lead over the Thunder.
The Rockets took a six-point lead late in the first quarter when Eric Gordon made a substitution for James Harden. Instead of surprising the lead, Gordon led the Rockets on an 18-7 run with Harden on the bench. Towards the end of the first half, the Rockets took a 68-52 lead over the Thunder. Gordon put on his best Russell Westbrook interpretation, scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half.
“Eric is one of the most talented boys we have in this league … He is finally healthy. Eventually, his swag gets back. And that’s scary for the opposition team, because they have to save it. ”- Harden
James Harden led the Rockets in scoring with 37 points, shooting 54.5% from the field, 46.1% from behind the arc – but his help went above Gordon’s productivity.
The Rockets got an extra 42 bench points with Jeff Green leading the way with 22. In addition to his score, Green put together a well-rounded performance with 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the win. In his playoff debut, Ben McLemore added in 14 points, he tied at 4-7 from three-point range.
‘I’ve known Jeff since I was a rookie, so I know where he’s capable. He is confident. He makes plays out of the dribble and protects players one to five. He just does the things he has done his whole career. ‘- Harden
A 10-point deficit midway through the third quarter was the closest the Thunder came to a possible Game 1 comeback. The Houston defense made it a miserable night for the Thunder – especially on Chris Paul.
Before keeping their 9 points in the fourth quarter, the Rockets held their former teammate to 11 points on 3-for-9 shots from the field, 1-for-5 from behind the arc. He finished the game with 20 points. Danilo Gallinari led the night for OKC with 29 points on the night.
‘It’s hard – they play like that for a reason. We keep talking about it, but Eric Gordon is like a wildcard to her because of his ability to shoot and drive deep. We need to figure out what we are going to take away. It’s hard to beat the other guys, because everyone’s feeling good. ‘ – Chris Paul
Following this, the Rockets will attempt to take a commanding 2-0 series lead against the Thunder on Thursday, Tip-off being assessed for 2.30pm CT.
