Written By Wilton Jackson II
Three-point shooting lifts Rockets past Thunder, despite absence of summer league stars
LAS VEGAS — Even without Jabari Smith, Tari Eason and rookie Amen Thompson, the Houston Rockets still showed some sizzle Tuesday afternoon, putting on an offensive show that included 15 three-pointers in a 105-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Thomas & Mack Center.
Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore led four Rockets in double figures as Houston improved to 3-0 in NBA Summer League play. The Rockets made the decision to shut down Smith and Eason after the two combined for 64 points in a victory over the Pistons on Sunday.
For Whitmore, the former Villanova star, the game was a chance to showcase his skills as the Rockets’ next key contributor. Whitmore, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, said it was just another step in his development.
“I’m really hard on myself,” Whitmore said after the game. “I’m focused on perfecting my craft.”
Houston led by as many as 18 points during multiple points in the game, thanks mainly to the three-point shooting from Trevor Hudgins, Matthew Mayer, Jermaine Samuels Jr. and Darius Days. The Rockets ended the first half on a 21-6 run and held a 62-46 lead at halftime. Mayer, the former Baylor and Illinois star, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Rockets coach Ben Sullivan credited Mayer’s double-double performance as a key factor in the win.
“He gave us a tremendous boost,” Sullivan said. “Very skilled, crafty. … He has a lot of stuff to his game.”
Whitmore echoed the sentiment. “Matt came out of nowhere and just started chopping everything up,” he said.
In the third quarter, OKC managed to cut the deficit to seven points with less than three minutes to play, fueled by consecutive buckets from Jaden Shackelford and contributions from KJ Wiliams and Jahmi’us Ramsey. Houston shut the door with a 10-0 run and took an 84-69 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City got within nine points on two separate occasions in the fourth quarter. However, the play of Hudgins, Whitmore and Samuels was significant down the stretch to lift the Rockets to victory.
Despite the loss, the Thunder (1-1) got strong showings from Keyontae Johonson (19 points), KJ Williams (19 points and 13 rebounds), Shackelford (16 points) and Ramsey (11 points). OKC played without Chet Holmgren, though NBA TV reported that the prize 2022 draftee has not been ruled out for the remainder of Summer League play.
Houston returns to action Thursday, when the Rockets face the Warriors at 4 p.m. PT at Thomas & Mack Center.
