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Match details
Fixture: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
Date and time: Friday, 28 October 2019, 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston
Last game result
Oklahoma City Thunder: 85-97 loss against the Washington Wizards (25th October, 2019)
Brooklyn Nets: 126-123 win against the New Orleans Pelicans (26th October, 2019)
Match overview
Russell Westbrook will be up against his former team Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time since being traded to the Houston Rockets earlier in the offseason. The game is expected to be a very emotional one for Westbrook as he has spent 11 seasons with the franchise and gave his all for the team in every single game.
Westbrook was named an All-Star eight times during his time with the Thunder. He was also one of their key players when they made it to the NBA Finals in 2012. The 30-year-old is also the all-time franchise scoring leader with 18,859 points.
The Rockets are coming off a 126-123 win against the New Orleans Pelicans where Westbrook put together a triple-double to lead the Rockets to their first win of the season. He also passed Magic Johnson (138) for second on the all-time triple-doubles list.
While the Rockets are high on confidence after the win, the situation is not so-positive for the Thunder, who've picked up two losses in their first two games.
Key Players
Houston Rockets - Russell Westbrook
James Harden has been struggling to start the season and the game against the Pelicans showed what Westbrook can bring to the table for this Rockets team. Westbrook was outstanding, going for 28 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists on 9-for-17 shooting. He showed that he can run the show and be the alpha on the nights when Harden is unable to produce.
Oklahoma City Thunder - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Even though the Thunder lost both their games, the 21-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been giving the fans reasons to celebrate as he looks like he is ready to be the future of the franchise. In their season opener, he dropped 26 points against the Utah Jazz before backing it up with yet another solid performance against the Wizards. Shai finished the night with 28 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Predicted starting lineups
Houston Rockets - PJ Tucker, Danuel House, Clint Capela, James Harden, Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City Thunder - Danilo Gallinari, Terrance Ferguson, Steven Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul
Thunder vs Rockets Match Prediction
The Thunder are yet to win a game this season and are still trying to figure out things with the departure of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook. Chris Paul only had six points against the Wizards and struggled to make an impact.
The Rockets have a really good supporting crew that can help Westbrook and Harden big time this season. Harden has been struggling with his shooting but has found other ways to impact the game. It is only a matter of time before his shot start going in and the Rockets start firing on all cylinders. They can really make some noise in the playoffs this year.
The Rockets just have too much fire power and are expected to steamroll the Thunder.
Where to watch Thunder vs Rockets?
The game will not be broadcast on national television. However, you can catch local coverage of the same on AT&T SportsNet - Southwest Network. You can live stream the game via NBA League Pass.
