The Houston Rockets arrived in Philadelphia at 3:00 a.m. Wednesday morning after winning their NBA Cup bracket in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The day before Thanksgiving, the Rockets could have easily picked up this win against a 76ers team that had won three, but as they are wont to do, they battled and earned their back-to-back wins on the road in overtime, 122-115 -Victory.

With five players scoring in double figures, it was Jalen Green’s 18-point first-quarter performance that ended the Rockets early. Coming off a game where he was listed as questionable due to an illness, it seemed like he bounced back early. He finished the game with 41 points on 60 percent shooting, hit four three-pointers and sank 13/14 from the free throw line. He contributed significantly to the win, especially as Sengun struggled offensively in the first half.

The Terror Twins did what they always do: They combined for 33 points and 20 rebounds off the bench. Amen added three steals and three blocks. Amen’s defense against Tyrese Maxey, especially in the closing stages, was key. Although he scored 39 points, he needed 34 shots. The Rockets continue to show that defense and rebounding can cover up many of their other deficiencies. They also struggled to score on the basketball in the second and fourth quarters, but their offensive rebounding defense kept the 76ers at bay until overtime.

In extra time, Alperen Sengun took over the game. He redeemed himself for failing to win the game in regulation time, scoring 11 of the Rockets’ 15 points in overtime. The biggest play he made all night, however, was the Olajuwon-esque fingernail block of a Tyrese Maxey layup that was initially called a goalie attempt but upon review turned out to be a clean block. He finished the game three assists shy of his second straight triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Now Ime Udoka has trusted his big man on back-to-back nights on crucial nights and Sengun delivered.

Now the Rockets can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday at home with their families as they will not play another game until Sunday, December 1st at Toyota Center against the OKC Thunder. You will want to be well fed and rested for this game as the Thunder are the only team to significantly outperform the Rockets this season. However, they can worry about it from Friday onwards. They should enjoy what they have achieved in the last 48 hours. They have shown that they are growing up and learning how to win. We can all be grateful for that.