Rockets at Thunder
There are not many two-game combinations in the NBA that could be tougher than trips to San Antonio and Oklahoma City, and the Houston Rockets are unlucky enough to fall into that trap this week. The Rockets will try to bounce back from a 31-point loss at the Spurs when they visit the Thunder on Friday.
Houston had won three in a row prior to Wednesday’s 130-99 beating in San Antonio and learned that inconsistent focus is unacceptable against the top teams in the league. “They were trying to teach somebody a lesson, and they taught us a lesson,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters. “…Hopefully we’ll take this (butt) whupping and apply it to the next night.” The Thunder are 24-5 in their last 29 games and finished out a four-game road trip with a 3-1 mark by outlasting the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123 on Wednesday. “I’m really proud of our guys on this trip,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan told reporters. “I give these guys a lot of credit for having some resiliency and perseverance to battle through it when all the time it didn’t look pretty.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, ROOT (Houston), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (25-23): Houston let the Spurs shoot 55.6 percent from the floor, including 12-of-23 from 3-point range, but star guard James Harden was ready to move on quickly. “Yeah, but it’s a long season,” Harden told reporters. “A lot of times it’s not going to be our night and obviously to be a really good team you have to be prepared from the beginning of the game, and we made some pushes, here and there. Just wasn’t enough.” The lopsided result at least gave Harden and Dwight Howard (ankle), who was returning from a three-game absence, a chance to get some extra rest as each logged under 30 minutes.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (35-13): Oklahoma City was playing the second night of a back-to-back after winning in overtime on Tuesday in New York and still found enough energy to hold off Minnesota on Wednesday. “It was our will to continue to play through everything that a team can go through on a road trip,” All-Star guard Russell Westbrook told reporters. “Our bench did a great job of coming in with good energy. Nick (Collison), A-Mo (Anthony Morrow), D.J. (Augustin), guys were stepping up and taking care of business.” Enes Kanter was the star of the reserve corps with 23 points and 10 rebounds against the Timberwolves, marking the fourth time in six games that the center scored in double figures.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder G Dion Waiters is averaging 15 points in two games since moving into the starting lineup.
2. Rockets F Trevor Ariza is 16-of-25 from 3-point range in the last three games.
3. Houston has taken five straight in the series.