Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder put on an offensive show during their first matchup of the playoffs, combining for 231 total points. Houston jumped to a 1-0 lead in the series but all experts expect this to go to 7 games. However, the Thunder must do a much better job in defense if they want to keep up with Houston.
The Thunder’s defense struggled to contain the Rockets’ high-octane offense. Houston lit them up for 20 three-pointers on 52 attempts and hung on to a 123-108 lead despite being out-rebounded 46-36.
Houston took great care of the ball with just 7 turnovers and James Harden was stellar with 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 three-pointers. As for Chris Paul, he shined with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 dimes.
The Rockets blew out the Thunder for most of the game and had multiple 20+ points leads throughout the game, even despite the tough loss of Russell Westbrook, who’ll likely miss another couple of games while he heals from a quadriceps injury.
Head-To-Head:Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The Houston Rockets did their job to start shifting the momentum in their all-time series. The Thunder holds a slight edge 114-109 in the regular season and also lead them in the playoffs with a 25-18 record.
Their last playoff series ended up with the Rockets getting the Gentleman’s Sweep. Even so, it’s also worth noting that OKC was led by Russell Westbrook, who’s now playing on the opposite side.
Match Information: Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Date:Thursday, Aug. 20
Time: 3:30p.m. ET
Location:HP Field House Orlando
Injuries
Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook: Quadriceps, Out
Luc Mbah a Moute:Knee, Out indefinitely
Oklahoma City Thunder
Isaiah Roby: Foot, Out for the season
see also
Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers Game 2: How to watch the NBA playoffs today, preview and odds
Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2: Odds and Predictions
Las Vegas expects the Rockets to win their second straight game, opening up as a 2-point favorite after entering Game 1 as a 1.5 point underdog. As for the game total, oddsmakers are expecting another high-scoring affair with the total set at 228.0 points.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Handicap | Rockets -2 | Rockets -2 |
| Game Total | o/u 228.0 | o/u 227.0 |
* Odds via DraftKings & FanDuel
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How Can I Watch Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2?
Game 2:Thu, Aug 20 Oklahoma City at Houston, 3:30 ET, ESPN, ESPN App, NBA League Pass.
