Oklahoma City Thunder Defeats Houston Rockets 112-107
The point guard Russell Westbrook maintained his leadership and with a double-double of 31 points and 11 assists led the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory over the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day.
"It's the best gift I could receive," Westbrook said after the game. "Not only because of the victory, but because the team is getting better every day and we can beat any contender for the title."
The forwards, Paul George, who contributed 24 points, and Carmelo Anthony, who scored 20 points, were also decisive in the Thunder's victory.
The center Steven Adams stood out in the interior game, achieving a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, including 12 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter.
The Spanish shooting guard Álex Abrines played three minutes as a reserve and grabbed two defensive rebounds.
Oklahoma City Thunder shot 54.4 percent from the field, compared to the Rockets' 43 percent, who lost the top spot in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors now hold the best record in the league (27-7) after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-92.
The shooting guard James Harden once again led the Rockets' attack, scoring a double-double of 29 points, but he missed 11 of his 18 field goal attempts, far from the 51 he had scored last Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Harden, the NBA's leading scorer this season, also contributed 14 assists and 8 rebounds, but couldn't prevent the Rockets' third consecutive defeat.
The Dominican small forward Trevor Ariza and the shooting guard Eric Gordon each scored 20 points, while the Swiss center Clint Capela achieved a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds after missing the previous two games.
The Brazilian center Nenê Hilario played 14 minutes as a reserve and scored 6 points, shooting 2 of 7 from the field and 2 of 3 from the free throw line.
In addition to grabbing three rebounds, he contributed one assist, two blocks, lost two turnovers, and committed two personal fouls.
The point guard Chris Paul remained sidelined with a groin strain, and the Rockets have a record of 15-1 when he has played and 10-6 without his participation.