10/31/2026 09:53:00
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10/31 21:51 CDT Jabari Smith Jr. scores 30 points, Rockets beat Thunder 119-98
Jabari Smith Jr. scores 30 points, Rockets beat Thunder 119-98
HOUSTON (AP) --- Jabari Smith Jr. had 30 points and nine rebounds, Marcus Smart
added 24 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-98
on Saturday night.
Smith shot 10 of 18 from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. Smart was
7 of 10 on 3s as the Rockets shot 46% as a team and were 18 of 41 from behind
the arc.
Alperen Sengun, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games
with lower back soreness, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and 10
assists, and Kevin Durant scored 14 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and Kenrich
Williams and Bennett Stirtz scored 11 apiece for Oklahoma City, which lost its
second straight after beginning the season 4-0.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Jared McCain had 10 points each for the Thunder, which
shot 44% and were 10 of 32 on 3s.
Leading 37-30 a minute into the second quarter, the Rockets used an 18-4 run to
open up a 55-34 lead on an Amen Thompson tip-in with 6:10 remaining in the
half. Oklahoma City outscored Houston 17-8 over the final six minutes to cut
the Rockets' lead to 62-51 at the half.
The Rockets opened the third with an 8-0 run to open up a 19-point lead on a
3-pointer by Smith with 10 minutes remaining in the quarter Houston's lead
never dipped below 12 the rest of the way.
Fred VanVleet was out of the lineup due to right knee injury management, and
Reed Sheppard missed his second straight game with low back soreness for the
Rockets.
The Thunder played their first game after announcing Friday that Chet Holmgren
would miss at least two months because of a right knee injury.
Up next
Thunder: At Cleveland on Monday night.
Rockets: Host Boston on Monday night.
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See AP's full NBA coverage here
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