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When the Houston Rockets last played the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their 2020 first-round playoff series, then-rookie Lu Dort was widely viewed as a defensive stopper but an offensive liability.
As it turned out, Dort scored 30 points in that Game 7 and nearly knocked the Rockets out of the playoffs. Now, in his second NBA season, Dort has built upon that Game 7 breakout and is Oklahoma City’s second-leading scorer, averaging 12.9 points in 29.1 minutes per game. His 3-point shooting is also up, from 29.7% last season to 38.1% in 2020-21.
Dort’s evolution into a legitimate “3&D” wing is a big part of why the Thunder (8-10) have remained competitive in the Western Conference — even after losing veterans Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams in the offseason and appearing to enter a rebuild.
Similarly, when the Rockets agreed to trade away franchise icon James Harden on Jan. 13, many expected Houston to begin a rebuild of its own. Instead, the Rockets have gone 6-3 since, and they’re currently on a season-long winning streak of five games. Houston’s defense has risen from No. 22 in net rating when Harden was on the roster to one of the league’s elite in the nine games following his departure.
On offense, Christian Wood was again the biggest story in Houston’s latest victory on Saturday. In only 27 minutes, Wood scored 27 points in New Orleans on 11-of-13 shooting (84.6%). Head coach Stephen Silas referred to the 25-year-old as an “emerging star,” and it’s easy to see why the athletic big man could become an All-Star in a few weeks.
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With both squads intent on proving their skeptics wrong, here’s when you should tune in to see Monday’s game from Chesapeake Energy Arena:
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Date: Monday, Feb. 1
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Time: 7:00 p.m. Central
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TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
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Live stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (9-9)
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Guard: John Wall
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Guard: Victor Oladipo
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Forward: Jae’Sean Tate
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Forward: PJ Tucker
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Center: Christian Wood
Oklahoma City Thunder (8-10)
The Rockets and Thunder will play again in the same arena on Wednesday night, as part of the NBA’s plan to minimize travel for teams during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Houston is likely to be without a key reserve in both games, with defensive ace David Nwaba sidelined by a left ankle sprain. Meanwhile, the Thunder are without George Hill (right thumb sprain); Ty Jerome (left ankle sprain), and former Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (not with team).
The Thunder enter with two wins in their last three games, having registered impressive road victories at Portland and at Phoenix. As expected, Gilgeous-Alexander — viewed around the league as a rising star — leads the upstart group in points (21.9) and assists (6.4).
This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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