The Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder may not be the most high-profile NBA Cup semifinal that the league hoped for, but it could be the best glimpse into the future of the Western Conference.
The Thunder are getting used to being the team that others are chasing this season after surprising everyone last year and earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
While they may not catch anyone off guard this year, they are still the deepest and most dangerous team in the conference, even without Chet Holmgren, who has been out for more than a month due to a hip injury.
For most teams, the “next man up” mindset is more of a wish, but for Oklahoma City, it’s a given. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the team, it’s not even a second thought. With the depth Oklahoma City has, it’s expected that others will step up.
The Thunder have gone 11-3 without Holmgren, and they are 19-5 for the season, on track to be the No. 1 seed again.
They made it to the NBA Cup semifinals as the top seed in the West, finishing 3-1 in group play. They secured a spot in Las Vegas by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t plan to leave Las Vegas empty-handed.
“It would mean a lot, this opportunity to win,” he said. “You play the game at a high level as a kid. You tie your shoes up and play AAU ball to win the tournament on the weekend. You go to college to try and win the NCAA Tournament. (Or even) the tournament at the beginning of the season, the Maui Invitational or whatever it’s called.
“You’re always trying to win. That’s my mindset. That’s my teammates’ mindset. We’re always trying to win.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.2 points, ranking fourth in the league before Friday’s games, and 6.3 assists. Jalen Williams has also become a key player; the third-year forward is averaging 21.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped into Holmgren’s role in the starting lineup with 11.6 points and 12.8 rebounds per game after making his Thunder debut on November 20.
The Rockets are in a similar position to last season’s Thunder, but their rise is even more surprising. While Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have shown promise, they both struggled during their first few seasons in the league. Green, in particular, had trouble finding his rhythm.
Houston’s decision to stick with their young duo seems to be paying off. The Rockets are 17-8, second only to the Thunder in the West, and have won seven of their last 10 games. Green is leading the team with 19.2 points per game, while Sengun is averaging 18.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.
The Rockets earned the West’s No. 2 seed in knockout play by finishing 3-1 in the group stage. They advanced to Las Vegas with a thrilling but controversial 91-90 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, thanks to a loose-ball foul that sent Green to the line for the game-winning free throws with 3.5 seconds left.
It was a strong defensive performance from the Rockets, who are now one of the toughest defensive teams in the league. Saturday’s semifinal is another chance for them to prove themselves against a Thunder defense that many consider the best in the league.
“I think we’re the top two defenses,” said Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “They’re very stingy on that end and they do it in a different way. They’re one of the best at creating turnovers and drawing (players) into a crowd. They give up some things as well, but they really protect the paint at a high level.
“It’s an honor to get here, and we felt we did good in our group to get here. Now we just want to make some more noise while we’re here.”
