tales from the game tape * hou vs okc

Last night, the NBA treated us to a potential Western Conference Finals preview between two of the West's best: the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

From the opening tip, we witnessed a relentless exchange of offensive and defensive counterpunches. It was a true grind-it-out style of modern basketball, showcasing the highs and lows of the deep ball. Ultimately, the Houston Rockets landed the final knockout blow to the Thunder’s resilient efforts.

It's hard to overlook Fred VanVleet’s eye-popping box score: 36 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds—a new season high. While his heroics were pivotal in the Rockets' nail-biting victory, one performance alone cannot fully encapsulate a game of this magnitude.

There was so much more to unpack from the game tape...

To Live & Die Beyond The Perimeter

Shooting 76 threes in a casual Sunday night game would have seemed like witchcraft to any early 2000s hoop fan. Welcome to the modern NBA. One nostalgic notion about the three-ball—either winning you games or losing them—was on full display in Houston. The Thunder shot 33% on 39 attempts, while the Rockets countered with 35% on 37 attempts. That slight edge in efficiency undoubtedly gave the Rockets the win in this slug-it-out brawl.

However, the struggles from both teams can’t simply be attributed to an inability to make open looks. It highlights how these teams are constructed—from the outside in. Both emphasize perimeter defenders who can neutralize opponents from deep while also creating their own shots. This matchup showcased defensive brilliance from the arc, and as you might expect, it led to a lot of empty possessions from beyond the three-point line.

The Canadian Scuffle

A common stereotype is that all Canadians are extremely nice and polite. Well, meet Dillon Brooks. An agitator by trade, he’s made a career out of getting into scuffles, exchanging words, stealing the ball—and stealing the last word. Oh, and he might even make a bucket or two along the way.

With the game knotted at 113-113 in the final frame, Brooks made it clear that it doesn’t matter who you are—the chirps are very real. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went up for a rebound, Brooks lurked in the shadows, ready to play keep-away. The two tangled, clutching the ball and refusing to let go as they stumbled toward the Rockets' bench. Thunder players quickly swarmed to protect their star.

Amid the chaos, however, there was a telling moment: Brooks and Shai, locked in the middle of the pile, stared at each other and laughed. After a lengthy review by the officials, and in true Canadian fashion, no technical fouls were issued. Instead, a jump ball between the two was ordered.

Brooks won the jump ball and then drained a timely jumper to give the Rockets a crucial lead. This time, the maple syrup goes to Dillon Brooks.

Sometimes it’s all About Charity

Love it or hate it—okay, we all hate it—sometimes a game boils down to who can draw more whistles. The Rockets easily claimed that "award" last night, shooting 39 total free throws compared to the Thunder’s 25. It’s a reminder that in a league often branded as all about the deep shot, the charity stripe still reigns supreme.

A significant portion of the Rockets’ free throws came from one man on a mission: Fred VanVleet. He went to the line 14 times, consistently demonstrating his fearless ability to put the ball on the deck and create opportunities with little to no space.\

The Houston-OKC Hydra’s

Depth, Depth, and More Depth. There probably aren’t many teams with as many interchangeable pieces as OKC or Houston. Maybe you could throw Boston or Cleveland into the conversation—but this tale of the game tape isn’t about them. Both the Thunder and Rockets can easily field 7-8 double-digit scorers on any given night

For the Rockets, nearly their entire starting five finished in double digits, though we’ve got to give a special shoutout to Jalen Green for putting up an absolute stinker of a game after dropping 40 points in his previous outing. Meanwhile, the Thunder had five players in double figures, with Aaron Wiggins doing his best impression of a one-man basketball savior off the bench.

These teams are like a hydra—cut off one head, and another emerges. Tonight, it was these 10 stepping up. Tomorrow, it’ll be a whole new group leading the way for the Rockets or Thunder.

We All Need a Little Hart

Isaiah Hartenstein has been a remarkable addition, filling several gaps for the ailing Thunder. When Oklahoma City signed Hartenstein in the offseason, it was clear he would be a perfect fit—a big, defensive, glass-cleaning center to pair alongside their stringbean four, Chet Holmgren. The idea was to ease some of the defensive pressure on Chet and let him focus on his offensive strengths.

But with Holmgren sidelined and Hartenstein only recently returning from injury, he’s now been thrust into the starting five, tasked with protecting the rim and dominating the boards all by himself. And he’s done that—and more.

In the first half of the game, Turkish superstar Alperen Şengün struggled to get anything going, largely due to Hartenstein’s relentless defensive pressure. Şengün eventually found his rhythm in the second half, but the Thunder’s ability to shut down easy interior looks early kept them competitive.

On the boards, Hartenstein has been a man amongst boys, fighting for everything off the rim with incredible efficiency. Since his return, he’s averaging 13.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

The real question now is: will anyone be able to score on the Thunder once Chet and Alex Caruso are back healthy?