HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- The Rockets played it off as just another game, prior to their first meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder last month. That 126-107 is their only double-digit loss of the season, and while they wanted to play better during Sunday's rematch, the Rockets refused to say it meant more than any other game.
"We're on our own journey," Rockets guard Fred VanVleet said. "This is the same approach. It's a long season. Obviously, you want to win the best games against the best teams, and we were able to do that tonight."
Behind VanVleet's 38 points, the Rockets beat the Thunder 119-116 Sunday night at Toyota. A little more than a quarter of the way through the season, the Rockets are 15-6, just a half game back of Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference.
"All the things we tried to lay a foundation of last year are kind of coming to fruition this year a little bit more," VanVleet said. "We got some talent, but the most connected, together, tough, hard playing team is going on most nights in the NBA. I think we've been able to string together some of those."
VanVleet and Dillon Brooks were brought into the organization a little less than 18 months to give a young team some much needed veteran guidance, so it was fitting those two made two of the biggest plays of the night.
With less than 90 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 110, Jalen Green lobbed a pass to VanVleet with the shot clock winding down, forcing the 30-year old point guard to launch a rainbow from 33 feet away, which found the bottom of the net.
Cason Wallace answered with a three of his own off an Isaiah Hartenstein offensive rebound to tie the game. VanVleet missed a three to break the tie, but Brooks was able to force a jump ball with Shai Gilgeous Alexander. After he won the tip, Alperen Sengun tried to go to work in the post against Hartenstein, but he fell down and somehow found Brooks, who flashed towards the basket, stopped, and drained an eight-footer with a tenth of a second left on the shot clock.
"That's a Dylan shot, man," Sengun, who finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists, said. "That's a fadeaway. Tough guy, win the jump ball, playing clutch for us. That was great, that was sweet to see."
Sunday's win was the Rockets 10th in 12 games since that loss in Oklahoma City on November 8. They will start a three game California trip on Tuesday in Sacramento before likely hosting an NBA Cup Quarterfinal game on December 10 or 11.
"We just gotta keep fighting," Sengun said. "OKC was a good team, and we just win. Fans were great, so we're just gonna keep winning and fighting on the court."
