Thunder-Rockets: 5 takeaways from the Emirates NBA Cup semi-finals

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LAS VEGAS – As scrappy, as ugly and as ugly as the second Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game was in stretches on Saturday, the league could have a fresh, grinding rivalry on its hands.

Oklahoma City and Houston began the day at or near the top of the Western Conference. They ranked first and second in defensive efficiency, respectively. And, as demonstrated in the Thunder’s 111-96 victory at T-Mobile Arena, two of the NBA’s youngest teams could compete for the same spot in the West for a long time.

But first things first. Before the Thunder and the Rockets can add to their knowledge (they meet five times this season, not counting a potential postseason meeting), OKC will battle Milwaukee on Tuesday for the Cup championship. Bragging rights and more than $500,000 per player on the winning team will be up for grabs, not necessarily in that order.

Here are five takeaways from the triumph Saturday, as OKC there:

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1. Good defense means bad offense

We expected a duel in the dirt, with each team scrapping for every shot and feeling contact with every move and cut. Both teams take great pride in their defense. But this got a little ridiculous at times.

Through the first nine minutes of the game, the Thunder scored only nine points. Through 12, the teams combined to shoot 13-for-47, including 4-for-22 on 3-pointers. They had nine turnovers, which wasn’t debilitating for either squad because no one was able to turn even the mistakes into easy points.

Given the two coaches involved – OKC’s Mark Daigneault and Houston’s Ime Udoka – a bucket saved is obviously worth more than a bucket earned. You’d imagine both would happily take their chances with a 0-0 tie coming down to the final 24 seconds.

“We’re just trying to be disruptive and disciplined,” said Daigneault, perfectly fine afterward with the sloppy first half. “We were disruptive tonight. We did a really good job on their key guys. … Our shot contest was great. Our assists were great.”

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2. Professional goal scorer steps up

That kind of dirty thievery can only take a team so far. The difference that emerged in the second half was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the smooth Thunder guard who scored 20 of his game-high 32 points after halftime. He shot 6-for-9 after opening 3-for-12, and his 14 points from the foul line matched or exceeded all but one Houston player.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30 points per game for the third consecutive season. These Rockets don’t have anyone averaging even 20. When your top three scorers combine for 73 and the other guys stall out at 47, the math becomes too daunting.

Daigneault praised SGA for his “unwavering confidence,” which is a euphemism for the lack of conscience and short memories of the elite scorers.

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3. Houston’s lack of launch

The Rockets may not have been at the “Houston, we’ve got a problem” stage, but they were an offensive mess Saturday. And it wasn’t just the Thunder’s merit. They were 17th coming in and looked rudimentary from start to finish.

The starting backcourt shot 8-for-29, including 2-for-19 from beyond the arc. Fred VanVleet scored just eight points. Jalen Green had 12. Houston ranks 18th in 3-point attempts (35.9) but was determined to get up 46 this time. On average, it amounts to 32.2%, better than only three teams. This night it was 23.9%.

It is clear that Udoka has put his emphasis on defense with good results. But an offensive order, with go-to scorers and set pieces, is a necessary ingredient the Rockets are still looking for.

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4. Hartenstein stays in his lane

Isaiah Hartenstein’s competition at center Saturday was Rockets big man Alperen Sengun, the highly skilled fourth-year native of Turkey. Udoka has referred to Sengun as a “mini” Nikola Jokić, a nod to his guy’s passing and high IQ.

But Hartenstein looked very smart, scoring 21 on 9-for-12 shooting with eight rebounds. A surgical free agent signee from New York, Hartenstein is averaging a double-double by rolling and generally making himself available to Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and other Thunder players.

OKC was undersized last season with the lanky Chet Holmgren carrying too much of a load even as the team clinched the West’s No. 1 seed. Now that Holmgren is coming back from his brutal hip fracture, the Thunder will be able to torment look-alike foes of all kinds, including a legit twin-tower unit.

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5. Stars are published on Tuesday

This being Las Vegas, there were notable personalities in the house from multiple venues (The Strip, Hollywood, etc.) in music, sports and of course the NBA. Legends like Oscar Robertson and Spencer Haywood sat courtside, as did Gary Payton, Rip Hamilton and Blake Griffin. Then there was the former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah near one benchhad to be reminded to pull legs in so he didn’t cause one Shaq-Larry David faux pas.

But the stars the NBA is most eager to showcase for the Cup Final are Gilgeous-Alexander and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, two guys in Kia MVP conversations again this season.

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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. You can email him herefind his archive here and follow him on X.

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