The good news for the Rockets is they play Wednesday at Toyota Center, where they’ve earned all eight of their wins in the 2023-24 regular season. At home, Houston is 8-1. On the road, they are the NBA’s only winless team (0-8).
While the Rockets are excited to return home, the bad news is they play the Oklahoma City Thunder, who own the NBA’s fifth-best record (13-6) and its top road record (7-2).
“Every game is a test,” Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate said Tuesday. “This is a very good league. This is going to be our first time seeing them, so it is definitely going to be a different look. They have a lot of good players over there, so it is going to be a test.”
Oklahoma City has won eight of its last 10 games, and it is led by one of the NBA’s best players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The superstar guard is averaging 29.9 points per game this season, which makes him the sixth-best scorer in the league.
“They have a ton of talent and have drafted well over the last few years … and kind of built it up slowly,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, whose team hopes to be on a similar trajectory.
“When you add a 30-point scorer, which SGA has been over the last two years, that takes it to another level,” Udoka said. “He is the head of the snake there, but it is not only him; it is Jalen Williams who is playing well, and (Chet) Holmgren is playing well.”
“They have a lot of good shooters and Isaiah Joe coming off the bench and (Lu) Dort,” Udoka concluded. “They are a well-rounded team with one dominant player obviously and a lot of good pieces around him, so we have to be on point with the coverages and personnel.”
“They have a ton of talent and have drafted well over the last few years and kind of built it up slowly,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka when I asked him about about the Oklahoma City Thunder. #Rockets #Sarge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/3IstM0Smt8
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) December 6, 2023
What also makes the Thunder so compelling is the play of Holmgren, who missed all of the 2022-23 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during a pro-am game in Seattle.
Since returning, Holmgren has put up strong numbers, averaging 17.6 points, 8 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game while hitting 39.5% of his 3-pointers. He was recently named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November games.
Holmgren will have his hands full on the opposite end of the court when he faces Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., who went No. 3 in the 2022 NBA draft, one selection after Holmgren. Smith has had a solid second season for Houston and has increasingly taken on some of the most challenging defensive assignments.
One area to watch will be the Rockets’ communication on defense, which they have struggled with during their current three-game losing streak. Oklahoma City is a team that seeks out mismatches on offense to get their primary scorers in position to make plays.
“Communication on defense is very important,” Rockets guard Aaron Holiday told reporters at Tuesday’s practice. “Knowing where the screens are coming so we can get out and rotate. But other than that, we have a game plan, and we are going to stick to it.”
