Rockets' shooting surge puts Thunder away in 119-98 win

Jabari Smith Jr. anchored a defensive and offensive surge for the Houston Rockets, scoring 30 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 119-98 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. The victory snapped the Thunder's four-game winning streak, marking their second consecutive loss.

The Rockets controlled the perimeter game throughout the evening. They converted 18 of their 41 three-point attempts for a 43% success rate, while Oklahoma City managed just 10 of 32 from that distance. Marcus Smart contributed 24 points, shooting 7 of 10 from beyond the arc, while Smith added 6 of 12 three-pointers.

Alperen Sengun returned to the lineup after missing two games with lower back soreness. He recorded a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. Kevin Durant added 14 points, but the Rockets' bench depth and shooting outclassed the visitors in the second half.

Houston built a decisive lead late in the first half. After trailing 37-30 early in the second quarter, the Rockets executed an 18-4 run to jump ahead 55-34. Oklahoma City trimmed the deficit to 62-51 at the break, but Houston opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run that extended their advantage to 19 points. The lead never fell below 12 points for the remainder of the contest.

The Thunder played without center Chet Holmgren, who was ruled out for at least two months on Friday due to a right knee injury. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the visitors with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Kenrich Williams and Bennett Stirtz each scored 11 points for the loss.