Jalen Green scored 34 points and Alperen Sengun added 31 to lead the Houston Rockets past the Oklahoma City Thunder 125-111 on Friday night at Toyota Center.
The victory halted Oklahoma City’s 11-game winning streak and pushed Houston’s record to 51-27, keeping the team second in the Western Conference standings.
The Thunder, now 64-13, had not lost since March 10 before falling in Houston.
The Rockets jumped out to an early lead, going up by 23 in the first half before Oklahoma City trimmed the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a jumper with just over seven minutes remaining to make it 106-97, but Green responded with five quick points to extend Houston’s lead back to 14.
The Thunder never got within nine again after that run, which was capped by a 3-pointer from Green that put the Rockets up 113-99.
Green shot 11-of-24 from the field and went 9-of-10 at the free throw line, also contributing five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Sengun made 11 of his 21 shot attempts and knocked down 9-of-12 free throws while adding four assists, two rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes.
Despite the absence of Dillon Brooks, who was serving a one-game suspension for accumulating his 16th technical foul, the Rockets’ defense held firm.
Houston dominated the boards, outrebounding Oklahoma City 48-33 and grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to Oklahoma City’s seven.
Amen Thompson contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while veteran big man Steven Adams added 12 rebounds and eight points in 23 minutes.
Jabari Smith Jr. helped off the bench with 17 rebounds and nine points, playing a key role in limiting second-chance opportunities for the visitors.
Oklahoma City was led by Jalen Williams, who finished with 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting and four assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander ended the night with 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds but went just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Chet Holmgren scored 20 points and recorded a career-high six three-pointers after struggling from deep in his previous three outings.
The Thunder shot 48.3% overall but managed only 37.1% from three-point range and committed 15 turnovers.
Houston, in contrast, hit 13-of-29 from long distance and made 22-of-26 free throws, converting at 84.6% from the line.
Fred VanVleet added 13 points and six assists for the Rockets, who improved to 2-1 this season against Oklahoma City.
Jae’Sean Tate hit three triples off the bench and finished with nine points in just under 15 minutes.
