Days after a stunning 120-91 win over Houston on Sunday, Oklahoma City’s playoff series against the Houston Rockets resumes this Wednesday night, and while bettors and NBA fans aren’t willing to give Houston the benefit of the doubt, the Rockets still have the chance to recover from the 29- point loss suffered on Game 1 and even the series before returning to the Toyota Center.
Game 1 exposed many weaknesses for Houston. The Thunder, who took a 1-0 lead in the series, had no trouble submitting its rival in almost every instance of the game.
While the Rockets faced many difficulties during the game, at some point Houston managed to weep away an 11-point deficit in the first half and tie the score 40-40. But that didn’t last for too long. After a 20-5 run in the second quarter, Oklahoma put together a comfortable 60-45 lead minutes before the halftime.
Oklahoma’s top scorer Kevin Durant, who had no trouble playing against his former teammate, James Harden, led the way with 24 points. Russell Westbrook was just two rebounds short from a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Serge Ibaka netted 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and OKC sixth man Kevin Martin contributed to his team victory with 16 points.
The Rockets meanwhile, never found the way to break the Thunder’s defense. Harden led the Rockets with 20 points, but no other starter finished the game with double figures. In addition, the playoff series started wrong for Jeremy Lin, who never found his best game in his first postseason match. To be honest, the Rockets never got any help from Lin; who scored just a single field goal from seven attempts and had as many turnovers (four) as assists.
With the victory over Houston, Oklahoma improved to 18-5 in playoff games at its home arena. The 29-point win also marked Oklahoma’s third rout over the Houston Rockets this season. In two games played this season, Thunder notched victories of 30 (124-94, Dec. 31st at Toyota Center) and 22 points (120-98, Nov. 28 @ Chesapeake Energy Arena).
After the massive loss suffered on Sunday, it's realistic to expect Houston to show some improvements on Game 2, but the question that worries most sportsbook betting fans is: How much better can the Rockets be against a highly inspired team such as Oklahoma? We’ll have the answer this Wednesday night. In the meantime, you can bet this game at Sports Betting Online and receive 10% cashback on all your wagers. Win or Lose.
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