In the NBA Cup semifinals, the Houston Rockets were unable to prevail in a defensive match against the Oklahoma City Thunder and lost 111:96.

The game featured the NBA’s two best defenses, with OKC taking a late lead thanks to scorers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and others.

Houston’s defense held firm for most of the game, but the team shot just 37% from the floor, with top-scoring Rocket Amen Thompson finishing with 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. The closest would be Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks at 14 each, both with inefficient nights.

The Rockets got off to a hotter start from the start, scoring the game’s first five points and holding the Thunder scoreless for over three minutes before Luguentz Dort hit the team’s first shot.

The defense was well advertised, with the Rockets shooting just 25% and OKC shooting 30% from the field in the first frame.

The second quarter continued to be dominated by defense, with Houston taking the lead again 30-28 with seven minutes left. From there, the fight became more physical and both teams reached the finish line frequently.

At halftime, Houston had a 42-41 lead. The team had made just six of 37 3-point attempts overall. Backup point guard Amen Thompson was almost the only bright spot on offense, making 6 of 10 field goals for 13 points and giving the team a steady hand in the second frame.

The offense was much more in demand in the third frame as OKC went on an 11-0 run that was thwarted by a flurry of three-pointers and stops. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the third frame, helping Oklahoma City to its largest lead of the game to that point, 75-69. Houston scored its most points in a quarter with 27, but still trailed by six heading into the final frame.

With the loss, Houston’s NBA Cup hopes were now dashed as OKC and Milwaukee had to fight for everything.

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