Rockets Beat Thunder 132-126 In Overtime For 10th Straight Victory

Jalen Green scored 37 points and the Houston Rockets won their 10th straight game, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 132-126 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Amen Thompson had 25 points and 15 rebounds and Dillon Brooks added 20 points for the Rockets. Houston entered the night a game behind the Golden State Warriors for the final play-In tournament spot in the Western Conference.

Josh Giddey matched a career-high with 31 points for the Thunder, one night after scoring a season-high 25 in a win at New Orleans. Jalen Williams added 23 points and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which entered the night a half game behind the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.

Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with a bruised right thigh. He is the league’s No. 3 scorer, averaging 30.4 points.

The final minutes of regulation were hectic. Giddey hustled to the ball and got a shot to bounce in while sitting on the floor a few feet in front of the free-throw line, putting the Thunder ahead 103-102 with just under four minutes remaining.

Oklahoma City’s Williams made a contested 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining to tie the score at 112. Jalen Green’s layup at the buzzer rolled away, forcing overtime. Brooks hit two 3-pointers early in the extra period to put the Rockets in control.

The game had a little extra flair from the start. Confetti from a previous event rained down on the floor right before the tip.

The Thunder trailed by double digits in the first quarter, but rallied to lead 50-49 at halftime.

The Thunder led 69-62 when Giddey fouled Jabari Smith Jr. Giddey tried to help him up and Brooks pushed Giddey away and was issued a technical foul. It was Brooks’ 14th of the season, putting him two short of a one-game suspension.

Oklahoma City took an 85-80 lead into the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Visit the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

Thunder: Host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba