The Houston Rockets turned a fast start into a 119-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night in Houston, moving to 6-1 while handing Oklahoma City its second consecutive loss.
Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He made 10 of 18 shots, including six of 12 from 3-point range. Marcus Smart added 24 points and made seven 3-pointers, helping the Rockets finish 18 of 41 from beyond the arc.
Houston led 35-26 after the first quarter and 62-51 at halftime. The Rockets then opened the third quarter with eight straight points and carried a 92-75 advantage into the fourth. Oklahoma City never cut the margin below 12 points after halftime.
Alperen Sengun returned after missing two games with lower-back soreness and nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Durant scored 14 for Houston.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Oklahoma City shot 44% overall but made 10 of 32 attempts from 3-point range. The Thunder fell to 4-2 after opening the season with four straight wins.
The result also came one day after Oklahoma City announced that Chet Holmgren would miss at least two months because of a right knee injury. Houston played without Fred VanVleet, who was held out for right-knee injury management, and Reed Sheppard, who missed his second straight game with lower-back soreness.
Both teams return Monday. Oklahoma City visits Cleveland, while Houston hosts Boston.
Sources
NBA — Oklahoma City at Houston game record, October 31, 2026: https://www.nba.com/game/okc-vs-hou-0022600153/blueprint