Rockets Beat Short-Handed Thunder 119-98 as Jabari Smith Jr. Scores 30 and Marcus Smart Hits 7 Threes

The Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98 on Halloween night in Houston. The two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had very little help, because the Thunder were missing a long list of injured players.

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 30 points and nine rebounds. Marcus Smart added 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting from three. Oklahoma City lost its second straight game and fell to 4-2.

Thunder vs. Rockets: how it got away

Houston led 35-26 after the first quarter and 62-51 at halftime, per OKC Thunder Wire. The game was decided early in the third. The Rockets opened the half with eight straight points, including back-to-back threes from Smart and Smith, and led 70-51 less than two minutes in.

Houston led 92-75 after three quarters and by as many as 27. Oklahoma City’s reserves played the fourth quarter.

The Rockets made 18 of 41 threes (43.9%). The Oklahoman noted that Oklahoma City held Houston to 30 points in the paint even without its top shot blocker, so the Rockets won from the perimeter instead. Smith was 6 of 12 from deep.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Marcus Smart lead Houston

• Jabari Smith Jr.: 30 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
• Marcus Smart: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 7 of 10 from three
• Alperen Sengun: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists
• Kevin Durant: 14 points, 4 assists

OKC Thunder Wire wrote that Durant was “seldom needed” and that Sengun had his way against Oklahoma City’s thin frontcourt. Houston had 29 assists on 41 baskets.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder’s injury list

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting (3 of 6 from three) in 30 minutes. According to The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City played without:

• Alex Caruso (sprained right ankle)
• Chet Holmgren (right knee patellar tendinitis), who is expected to be out 8 to 10 weeks
• Jalen Williams (left ankle surgery)
• Cason Wallace (left shoulder labral tear)
• Nikola Topić (low back surgery)
• Thomas Sorber (right knee surgery)

The Oklahoman reported that Williams and Wallace both had surgery this week and will be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season. The team hopes Caruso will be back soon.

“I don’t know,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked what Oklahoma City can control. “We have some figuring out to do, for sure. A lot of it. I don’t have the answer for you right now.”

The Thunder shot 44% overall and 10 of 32 from three. Kenrich Williams (11 points, 7 rebounds), Bennett Stirtz (11), Jared McCain (10) and Isaiah Hartenstein (10) also scored in double figures. McCain and Ajay Mitchell, two of the guards Oklahoma City now needs to create offense, combined for 16 points on 8-of-23 shooting.

“Guys did hit some shots, but I don’t think that’s all of the reason why we lost,” Kenrich Williams said, per The Oklahoman.

Why it matters

As OKC Thunder Wire put it, a week ago this “looked like a primetime matchup on Halloween.” Instead, it showed how much the Thunder’s injuries have changed their outlook. The site described the team’s goal as trying to “tread water” for the next two months until reinforcements return. Houston, which the outlet called one of the league’s top teams, cruised to a lopsided win.

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