LAS VEGAS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased an impressive performance by scoring 20 of his 32 points in the second half, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 111-96 victory over the Houston Rockets. This win allowed the Thunder to advance to the NBA Cup championship, set to take place on Tuesday night.
Entering the final against the Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City is riding a five-game winning streak, while the Bucks earned their spot by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 in the Eastern Conference semifinal. It’s important to note that this championship match will not affect the teams’ standings in the regular season.
In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander’s standout performance, Isaiah Hartenstein contributed significantly with 21 points, while Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort added 20 and 19 points, respectively. Dort also secured nine rebounds in the game. On the other side, Amen Thompson led the Houston Rockets with 19 points, one of six players from the team to score in double figures. Alperen Sengun registered a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The matchup between the Rockets and Thunder highlighted two of the three top records in the Western Conference, hinting at a possible playoff preview in Saturday’s game.
However, it was a tough night for Rockets’ guard Fred VanVleet, who has struggled with his 3-point shooting recently. He had made only 6 out of 29 shots from beyond the arc over his previous three games and had a hard time against Oklahoma City, missing his first nine attempts and finishing with just 1 of 11 overall.
For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander had been averaging 30.2 points and shooting 51.5% before this game. He found it challenging to establish his scoring rhythm early on but managed to get to the free-throw line effectively, sinking 14 of 15 attempts, which helped him exceed his average points.
A pivotal moment occurred when Oklahoma City executed a 13-3 run, pulling ahead 97-82 with just under five minutes remaining, effectively widening the gap in a previously tight contest.
In a remarkable second-half performance, the Thunder managed to score a total of 70 points, which helped them overcome a halftime deficit of 42-41 and secure a comfortable victory.
Looking ahead, the Thunder will face the Bucks in the championship game on Tuesday, before resuming regular-season play against the Orlando Magic that Thursday. Meanwhile, the Rockets are set to return to action on the same Thursday as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans.
