Crime story in OKC!

The good form of the Oklahoma City Thunder (19-15) also continues on Christmas. Thanks to the dominant appearance of Russell Westbrook, the Thunder defeat the Houston Rockets (25-7) with 112:107 (BOXSCORE). Westbrook’s electrifying duel with James Harden is a close one for Westbrook.

After last two defeats in a row, the Rockets could certainly imagine an easier task than having to face up-and-coming Thunder at Christmas – especially since Chris Paul had to pass due to groin problems. The early minutes confirmed the suspicion that it would be a hot fight for the current best team of the NBA.

Oklahoma City launched furiously into the game. Russell Westbrook fought in the beginning with his litter (0/6 FG in the first quarter) but distributed 5 assists in a very short time. Steven Adams, who brought his colours into the lead early on, benefited most from them.

On the other hand, Trevor Ariza (12 points in the first section) held up well and so a balanced game with an extremely high pace developed up to break time (58:57 for OKC). Afterwards Westbrook and James Harden finally found their way to their game.

The two guards hammered the points around each other’s ears, but no team was able to make a decisive difference. Only six minutes before the end the Thunders gained a small advantage, but after the Hack-a-Roberson of the guests, the latter was also lost relatively quickly.

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In a wild final phase, Oklahoma City finally held the upper hand. Houston left a few possibilities behind due to hasty closures, just 30 seconds before the end Roberson blocked a tripartite attempt by Harden. In the transition, OKC provided a 5-point lead, after a Roberson steal in the last rocket attack, the game was finally decided.

Thus “The Beard” with 29 points, 14 assists and 8 rebounds could not prevent the third defeat in a row for Houston. Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon each contributed 20 points. On the Thunder side, Westbrook was the most outstanding man. With 31 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds he led his team to victory.

Paul George (24 points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 8/14 FG), Carmelo Anthony (20 points) and Steven Adams with a Double-Double (15 points, 10 Rebounds) also played a big part in this. Oklahoma City celebrated their fifth victory in a row and confirmed their good form.

Thunder vs. Rockets: Click here for the BOXSCORE!

Russell Westbrook. The Point Guard was not worried by his initial problems at all. After the half-time break, Westbrook returned to the stadium extremely hot and turned 5 out of 5 in the third quarter. On the one hand, his jumper finally fell, on the other hand he penetrated through the defensive of the rockets and came to spectacular finishes close to the ring. The 29-year-old also convinced with his defence and his eye for the other player.

Nene. The Brazilian had a pitch black evening. Coming from the bank, the Big Man could not set any accents. Only 2 of his 7 attempts out of the field found their way through the Reuse, thus his self-confidence seemed to be somewhat scratched. In some actions, despite a relatively open zone, he preferred to fit in with his opponent rather than scoring himself. So Nene only got 6 points and 3 rebounds and was only 14 minutes on the floor.

At first glance, it’s hard to tell, but James Harden had big problems for a long time – at least with his litter. OKC sent many different defenders into a duel with “The Beard”, especially Andre Roberson and PG13 did a very good job in the one-on-one. With a Pick & Roll, Harden was often immediately duplicated. For this reason, Harden lost only 1 of his eight attempts in the first half, but the Rockets’ attack was still his trademark. Despite the aggressive double-teams, the Guard found a gap to serve their fellow players. Especially Clint Capela profited from the 14 Assists Hardens with wide open dunks.