OKC Thunder 108-123 Houston Rockets: Twitter erupts over James Harden's 37 point performance in Game 1 | NBA Playoffs 2020
In tonight's Game 1 of the OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets NBA playoff series, the Rockets blew out the Thunder in a 123-108 victory. James Harden led the way with 37 points and 11 rebounds.
The Rockets will be very pleased with Eric Gordon's 21-point performance. Jeff Green had a wonderful night against his former team, leading the bench scoring with 22 points on 8-12 scoring from the field. The Rockets attempted a whopping 52 three-pointers and made 20 of them en route tonight's win.
The OKC Thunder struggled on both ends of the floor and were unable to keep up with the Rockets' offense. Danilo Gallinari put up a valiant effort with his 29 points but had no support for most of the game. Chris Paul ended up with a 20-point, 11-rebounds double-double.
Houston Rockets dominate the first half
The OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets began the game neck-and-neck in the first quarter before the Rockets began to pull ahead to lead by the end of the first quarter at 28-20.
The Houston Rockets took off to a 9-0 start in the second quarter to extend their lead. The OKC Thunder continued to fall behind as the Rockets caught fire from beyond the arc. Chris Paul and Steven Adams struggled to make their shots.
James Harden was constantly fouled throughout the half with some calls not going his way. Rockets Twitter fans made their displeasure very clear.
The Rockets led by as much as 21 points with a scoreline of 58-37 before the Thunder went on a 9-0 run themselves. The Rockets ended up leading at the end of the half with a 16-point lead at 68-52.
James Harden ended the first half with 15 points while Eric Gordon has 16. For the OKC Thunder, Danilo Gallinari led the way with 18 points in the first half.
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The Rockets kept making three-pointers as the Thunder's struggles continued
The Houston Rockets kept up the brilliant three-point scoring in the third quarter as they kept the lead high. The OKC Thunder were unable to make many of their shots from beyond the arc and were struggling in the interior against the Rockets' gritty defense.
The Rockets led by as much as 23 points at 98-75 in the third quarter. Jeff Green led the Houston Rockets bench and had 18 points at the end of the third quarter.
The Rockets kept up their great scoring run and ended the third quarter with a 21-point lead at 104-83.
Rockets close out Game 1 of the OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets series
Both teams got off to a slow start in the fourth quarter. The OKC Thunder began to creep back into the game but the Rockets continued to make easy three-pointers.
While the OKC Thunder attempted several comebacks, they were simply unable to slow down the Houston Rockets' offense. OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets finished 123-108 in favour of the Rockets
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