Rockets at Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have their sights set on evening the best-of-seven first-round series when they host the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Oklahoma City recorded a 115-113 victory on Friday behind a team-first approach but Houston holds a 2-1 lead and vows to get off to a quicker start in Game 4.
Star guard James Harden scored 44 points but his final-second 3-point attempt was off the mark in Game 3 but both the MVP candidate and coach Mike D'Antoni feel the beginning of the game was the real issue. "We just didn't have the will or the want early in the game," D'Antoni told reporters. "It's a little bit of a recurring theme we have. It takes us a while to get going. We'll address it and try to get it better, because we've got to play the whole 48 (minutes) like we did the last 24, and the last two games we have not done that." Oklahoma City MVP candidate Russell Westbrook again excelled with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 3 but he received better support from his teammates as four players (three starters) also scored in double digits. "I had to do a better job of trusting my teammates for 48 minutes," Westbrook said afterward. "Those guys made plays throughout the whole game. That's what I'm trying to do."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Houston looked like it was going to steamroll the Thunder when it won by 31 points in the opener but the last two games were tight and the Rockets know they are in for a battle. "We've got to come out desperate," Harden told reporters on Saturday. "Come out on the defensive end with a sense of urgency and, offensively, continue to do what we do. Get our shots, get to the rim and be unselfish." Harden has scored at least 35 points in each game in the series and is averaging 38.7 points and 7.7 assists.
ABOUT THE THUNDER: Westbrook is averaging 35 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series but when his 51-point splurge in Game 2 didn't result in a victory, he altered his approach for Game 3 and got more people involved. Power forward Taj Gibson erupted for 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting and shooting guard Victor Oladipo tallied 12 points after being 5-of-26 shooting over the first two games, but Westbrook doesn't want to hear his teammates referred to as the "supporting cast." "Well, for one, we are all one team. I don't have a cast, or other guys," Westbrook told reporters. "We're all in this together. My teammates have been doing a great job all season long, the last few games as well, and we'll continue to trust in each other and our be able to stay a team."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Rockets, who averaged an NBA-record 14.4 3-pointers per game this season, are shooting just 32 percent from behind the arc in the series.
2. Oklahoma City SF Andre Roberson is averaging 14 points on 18-of-30 shooting in the series.
3. Houston F Ryan Anderson scored 18 points in Game 3 but is just 2-of-18 from 3-point range in the series.