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The Oklahoma City Thunder's struggles continued on Saturday as they suffered a 119-98 loss to the Houston Rockets. The Thunder appeared devoid of energy, and the talent gap became glaringly obvious as the Rockets pulled away in the second half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 26 points, but he had minimal help from his teammates. Jared McCain managed just 10 points on 14 shot attempts, while Kenrich Williams contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Bennett Stirtz added 11 points off the bench.
For Houston, Kevin Durant took a backseat with only 14 points, but Jabari Smith Jr. shouldered the scoring load with 30 points and nine rebounds. Alperen Sengun nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, and Marcus Smart chipped in 24 points.
The game, played at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on October 31, 2026, featured several standout moments captured in photos. Among the highlights: Durant driving to the basket against Kenrich Williams, Smith Jr. attacking the rim against Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain, and Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and McCain disputing a call with referee Sha'rae Mitchell. Sengun was also seen driving against Hartenstein and later dunking, while Amen Thompson reacted on the court. Other notable images include Mitchell shooting over Sengun, Josh Dix saving a ball from going out of bounds against Jae'sean Tate, Stirtz shooting, Hartenstein dunking, and Bruce Thornton passing against Stirtz. Smith Jr. was photographed shooting over Jaylin Williams, Sengun scoring against McCain and Aday Mara, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacting, and rapper Drake conversing with Travis Scott courtside. Mara drove against Tari Eason, McCain shot over Durant, and Sengun dunked and shot against Mitchell. Durant was also shown reacting, and McCain guarded Smith Jr. as he passed to Thompson. Smart dribbled against Mitchell to round out the photo highlights.
Key Analysis
The Thunder's lack of offensive firepower outside of Gilgeous-Alexander was evident, and Houston's balanced attack proved too much to handle. Oklahoma City will need to find secondary scoring options to remain competitive.
Originally reported by yahoo.