HOUSTON, Texas — The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped a second game in a row Saturday night, falling 119-98 to the Houston Rockets after a 4-0 start to the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 26 points, making half of his 20 shots. Kenrich Williams and Bennett Stirtz each scored 11, and Isaiah Hartenstein and Jared McCain chipped in 10 apiece. The Thunder shot 44% overall but made just 10 of their 32 tries from deep.
Houston got 30 points and nine rebounds from Jabari Smith Jr., who knocked down six 3-pointers, while Marcus Smart hit seven from long range on his way to 24. Alperen Sengun, back after missing two games with a sore lower back, posted 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. The Rockets went 18 of 41 beyond the arc.
The game turned early in the second quarter. Houston led 37-30 when it ripped off an 18-4 burst to go ahead 55-34. The Thunder closed the half on a 17-8 surge to get within 62-51, but the Rockets scored the first eight points of the third quarter and never let the margin fall under 12 the rest of the night.
Houston also played without Fred VanVleet, who sat out for right knee injury management, and Kevin Durant added 14 points for the Rockets. Amen Thompson’s tip-in capped the second-quarter run that gave Houston its biggest first-half cushion.
Gilgeous-Alexander had little help from the perimeter as Oklahoma City’s shooters went cold from beyond the arc, and the Rockets’ 3-point barrage in the third quarter put the game out of reach. Smith opened the second half with a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 19.
The loss leaves Oklahoma City at 4-2 heading into its next game.
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