Key Points from Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals Showdown between Thunder and Rockets

Oklahoma City and Houston were both leading the Western Conference standings at the start of the day. They were ranked first and second in defensive efficiency, showcasing their strong defensive capabilities. The Thunder's 111-96 win at T-Mobile Arena highlighted the potential rivalry between these two young NBA teams, suggesting they could be vying for the top spot in the West for years to come.

First things first, though. Before the Thunder and the Rockets can add to their lore (they’ll meet five times this season, not counting a potential postseason meeting), OKC will tussle with Milwaukee on Tuesday for the Cup championship. Bragging rights and more than $500,000 per player on the winning team will be on the line, not necessarily in that order.

Here are five takeaways from the triumph Saturday that OKC there:

1. Good defense means bad offense

We expected a duel in the dirt, each team scrapping for every shot and feeling contact on every move and cut. Both teams take utmost pride in their defense. But this got a little ridiculous at times.

Through the game’s first nine minutes, the Thunder scored only nine points. Through 12, the teams combined to shoot 13-for-47, including 4-for-22 on 3-pointers. They had nine turnovers, which weren’t debilitating to either squad because nobody was capable of turning even the mistakes into easy points.

Of course, given the two coaches involved – OKC’s Mark Daigneault and Houston’s Ime Udoka – a bucket saved is worth more than a bucket earned. You could imagine both happily taking their chances with a 0-0 tie that comes down to the final 24 seconds.

“We’re just trying to be disruptive and disciplined,” Daigneault said, perfectly fine afterward with the sloggy first half. “We were disruptive tonight. We did a really good job on their main guys. … Our shot-contesting was great. Our help was great.”

2. Professional scorer steps up

That sort of grimy stymieing can only take a team so far. The difference that emerged in the second half was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the slippery Thunder guard who scored 20 of his game-high 32 points after halftime. He shot 6-for-9 after opening 3-for-12, and his 14 points from the foul line matched or exceeded all but one Houston player.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30 points per game for the third consecutive season. These Rockets don’t have anyone averaging even 20. When your top three scorers combine for 73 and the other guys’ stall out at 47, the math gets too daunting.

Daigneault praised SGA for his “unwavering confidence,” which is a euphemism for the lack of conscience and short memories the elite scorers have.

3. Houston’s failure to launch

The Rockets might not be at the “Houston, we have a problem” stage, but they were an offensive mess Saturday. And it wasn’t just to the Thunder’s credit. They ranked 17th coming in, and looked rudimentary from start to finish.

The starting backcourt shot 8-for-29, including 2-for-19 beyond the arc. Fred VanVleet scored only eight points. Jalen Green had 12. Houston ranks 18th in 3-point attempts (35.9) but was determined to get up 46 this time. On average, it makes 32.2%, better than only three teams. This night, it was 23.9%.

It’s clear Udoka has put his emphasis on defense, with good results. But an offensive order, with go-to scorers and sets, is a necessary ingredient for which the Rockets still are searching.

4. Hartenstein stays in his lane

Isaiah Hartenstein’s competition at center Saturday was Rockets big man Alperen Sengun, the highly skilled fourth-year native of Turkey. Udoka has referred to Sengun as a “mini” Nikola Jokić, a nod to his guy’s passing and high hoops IQ.

But Hartenstein looked plenty smart in scoring 21 on 9-for-12 shooting, with eight rebounds. A surgical free-agent signing from New York, Hartenstein averages a double-double by rolling and generally making himself available to Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and other Thunder players.

OKC was undersized last season with slender Chet Holmgren carrying too great a load, even as the team secured the West’s No. 1 seed. Now, when Holmgren comes back from his brutal hip fracture, the Thunder will be able to torment foes with looks of every sort, including a legit twin-tower unit.

5. Stars will be out Tuesday

This being Las Vegas, there were notable personalities in the house from multiple venues (the Strip, Hollywood etc.) in music, sports and of course the NBA. Legends such as Oscar Robertson and Spencer Haywood sat courtside, as did Gary Payton, Rip Hamilton and Blake Griffin. Then there was former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah near one bench, who had to be reminded to pull in legs lest he cause a Shaq-Larry David faux pas.

But the stars the NBA is most eager showcase for the Cup finale are Gilgeous-Alexander and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, two guys in Kia MVP conversations again this season.

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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