Emirates NBA Cup Semi Final Preview: Rockets vs. Thunder

On By Littum

The Thunder and Rockets will battle for a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game.

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The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 moves to Las Vegas, where the top four teams compete to decide the tournament’s second ever champion. The first NBA Cup in 2023, then called the In-Season Tournament, was won by the Los Angeles Lakers. This year, a new champion will be crowned, with the Western Conference representative coming down to either the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals.

These two exciting young teams will meet each other in an exciting semi-final clash on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at T-Mobile Arena. Earlier in the day, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta will meet in the other semifinal at 4:30 PM ET.

The Rockets advanced to the semifinals with a nail-biting 91-90 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the quarterfinals. Houston got off to an impressive start, but allowed a second-half Warriors comeback that gave Golden State a one-point lead after a 32-24 third quarter. However, the Rockets came through in the clutch to secure the win.

Alpine Sengun was the standout for Houston, with 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Jalen Green contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Fred VanVleet posted eight points and seven assists.

Meanwhile, the Thunder earned their spot with a 118-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks, successfully slowing down the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Oklahoma City’s strong first and second quarter starts, including a dominant 33-19 third quarter, created enough separation to secure the win.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the way, continuing his MVP-caliber season with 39 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Jalen Williams recorded 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while the defensive efforts of Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort proved key in slowing Dallas’ star duo. Wallace and Dort will likely have their hands full again against Green and VanVleet.

The Rockets are expected to lean on Sengun, who has been their standout player throughout the NBA Cup, averaging 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. However, he will have to match the physicality of Isaiah Hartenstein and Williams in the front court. Dillon Brooks has also been a key contributor for Houston, averaging 16.8 points per game in the NBA Cup, and could take on a crucial defensive role.

The Thunder will lean on Gilgeous-Alexander, who is third in NBA Cup scoring at 32.2 points per game. match, behind only Nikola Jokić and De’Aaron Fox. Defensive play will also be crucial, with Wallace and Dort tasked with slowing down Houston’s backcourt. If they can limit Green and VanVleet, Oklahoma City will be well positioned to reach the Finals.