It was a game highlighted by three crucial runs as the Thunder and Houston Rockets squared off, and unfortunately for the Oklahoma City faithful, it was Houston who made the last one.
An 8-1 spurt by Houston after the Thunder tied the game at 100 was fueled by two top-of-the-key three-pointers and another tough, contested jumper at the elbow, while the Thunder got just one free throw and missed two other shot attempts. The Thunder had a chance, pulling back to within two in the closing seconds, but a Russell Westbrook three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short, as did the Thunder, 115-112.
“That was a tough loss,” Head Coach Scott Brooks said. “It was a great atmosphere. We came out with a good start but then we turned the ball over too many times. We had a lot of opportunities to finish around the rim. We didn’t do a good job of catching and finishing around the basket. They got hot and we had trouble turning them off.”
“We fought,” Brooks continued. “We battled throughout the game and gave ourselves a chance to win in the last few possessions of the game. We missed some free throws and they made some. That was the ball game.”
An 18-0 run by the Rockets in the first quarter was the opening salvo, but on Easter Sunday afternoon, it certainly wasn’t the last meaningful burst by either team. The Thunder stayed alive, kept within striking distance, and when it got to crunch time, made its move.
After trailing by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, the Thunder rallied back to tie the game with a 20-7 run, getting back to even on a three-pointer from Westbrook that nearly blew the roof off of Chesapeake Energy Arena.
It was a gritty comeback attempt by the Thunder, fueled by strong defense that prevented Houston from getting high percentage looks at the rim.
On the other end of the floor, the Thunder made five free throws and got buckets from Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Anthony Morrow, along with a three-pointer from Kyle Singler off of a pretty play design that was perfectly executed out of a timeout. The burst erased the Thunder’s difficult first quarter where it fell behind by as many as 11, and it gave Head Coach Scott Brooks’ club a chance to win in the closing minutes.
“It says that at least we have some fight in us,” Westbrook said of the comeback. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
“We kept fighting,” guard Anthony Morrow said. “We didn’t feel sorry for ourselves when our bigs got into foul trouble. We stayed scrappy. That starts with Russ. Russ never gives up and that trickles down to everybody on the team.”
The Thunder put itself in a position to close the game out, but coming out of Houston’s timeout after Westbrook’s game-tying three, James Harden hit a three-pointer after a Thunder defensive miscommunication. Harden then dribbled into a tough three-pointer on the next possession, then got to the elbow and hit a fadeaway jumper to give the Rockets a 108-101 lead with 1:25 to go.
“We had a couple of switches where we didn’t do a good job and had another switch where we didn’t jam the shooter,” Brooks said.
Ultimately, that margin was enough cushion to seal the win, as Westbrook missed two free throws and Houston made seven-out-of-eight in the final minute, sealing the game.
Westbrook led the Thunder with yet another unbelievable performance – a 40-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound effort for his 11th triple-double of the season. He relentlessly attacked the paint and drew defenders so that he could dish to open teammates like Morrow, who finished with 22 points off the bench on 6-for-8 three-point shooting. Kanter added 21 points and 17 rebounds, including a career-high-tying 10 on the offensive end, while Dion Waiters chipped in 14 points.
Stats of the Night
6-for-8 – Three-point shooting numbers for Anthony Morrow, who scored 22 points off the bench
10 – Offensive rebounds for Enes Kanter, tying a career-high, to go with 21 points and seven defensive rebounds
40 – Points for Russell Westbrook to go with 13 assists and 11 rebounds for his 11th triple-double of the season
The Final Word
We did a pretty good job fighting, defending, getting back in the game by making plays for each other. It was tough down the stretch. It’s tough right now, but we just have to stay together. – guard Anthony Morrow