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Ahead of tonight’s competition, the Oklahoma City Thunder had established themselves as the toughest team in the NBA this season. By the end of the fourth quarter, the Thunder recorded 17 regular season return wins – including one in a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets in January.
Seven months later, the Rockets made sure they didn’t make the same mistake again. Houston opened the Western Conference quarterfinals on Tuesday with a 123-108 victory over Oklahoma City, inside the Arena in Orlando. With the win, the Rockets hold a 1-0 lead over the Thunder.
The Rockets held a six point lead at the end of the first quarter when Eric Gordon replaced James Harden. Instead of wasting the lead, Gordon led the Rockets in an 18-7 run with Harden on the bench. At the end of the first half, the Rockets held a 68-52 lead over the Thunder. Gordon gave his best interpretation of Russell Westbrook, scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first period.
“Eric is one of the most talented guys we have in this league… he’s finally healthy. Finally recover his loot. And it’s scary for the opposing team’s defense because they have to keep that. – harden
James Harden led the Rockets with 37 points, shooting 54.5% from the field, 46.1% from behind the arc – but his help went beyond Gordon’s productivity.
The Rockets received 42 more bench points with Jeff Green in the lead at 22. In addition to his scoring, Green put in a well-rounded performance with 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the win. In his playoff debut, Ben McLemore added 14 points, connecting 4-7 from three points.
“I’ve known Jeff since I was a rookie so I know what he’s capable of. He is confident. He plays on the dribble and keeps players one through five. He just does the things he’s been doing his entire career. – harden
A 10-point deficit midway through the third quarter was the Thunder’s closest to a possible Game 1 comeback. The Houston defense made a miserable night for the Thunder – especially on Chris Paul.
Ahead of his 9 points in the fourth quarter, the Rockets kept their former teammate 11 points on a 3 for 9 shot from the field, 1 for 5 from behind the arc. He finished the game with 20 points. Danilo Gallinari led the way for OKC with 29 points on the evening.
“It’s difficult – they play like that for a reason. We talk about it all the time, but Eric Gordon is like a wild card to them due to his ability to shoot deep and drive. We need to figure out what we’re going to take away. Letting the other players go is difficult because everyone starts to feel good. – Chris Paul
Then the Rockets will look to take a 2-0 lead against the Thunder on Thursday, Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.
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