OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Houston Rockets didn’t care that they beat an Oklahoma City squad that was missing its best player, All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Rockets celebrated loudly in the locker room after escaping with a win at one of the toughest venues in the league. Jalen Green scored 37 points and Houston won its 10th straight game, defeating the Thunder 132-126 in overtime on Wednesday night.
Click to Gallery
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Houston Rockets didn’t care that they beat an Oklahoma City squad that was missing its best player, All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Josh Giddey matched a career-high with 31 points for the Thunder, one night after scoring a season-high 25 in a win at New Orleans. Jalen Williams added 23 points and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which entered the night a half game behind the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.
Brooks hit two 3-pointers early in the extra period to put the Rockets in control.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, right, drives against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., left, is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
“It was lit, it was lit,” Green said. “Everybody was happy, celebrating, screaming. I mean, we fought for that one. We worked hard.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said it’s all about stacking victories.
“Ten in a row is 10 in a row, regardless if Shai is out or whatever the case may be,” Udoka said. “But it’s hard to do in the NBA. The guys are proud of that effort, and well deserved.”
Amen Thompson had 25 points and 15 rebounds and Dillon Brooks added 20 points for the Rockets.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was out with a bruised right thigh, ranks third in the league with 30.4 points per game.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) grabs a rebound next to Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Josh Giddey matched a career-high with 31 points for the Thunder, one night after scoring a season-high 25 in a win at New Orleans. Jalen Williams added 23 points and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which entered the night a half game behind the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault made no excuses for the loss.
“Every night, there’s a combination of things you can control and things you can’t,” he said. “You want to be a team that looks at the stuff you can control. We just never want to turn a page and chalk an entire game up to luck or shot-making or refs or anything like that. You want a team that takes full accountability for what we can. We do that after wins, we do that after losses and we’ll do that after this one.”
The final minutes of regulation were hectic. Giddey hustled to the ball and got a shot to bounce in while sitting on the floor a few feet in front of the free-throw line, putting the Thunder ahead 103-102 with just under four minutes remaining.
Oklahoma City’s Williams made a contested 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining to tie the score at 112. Green’s layup at the buzzer rolled away, forcing overtime.
“Had a decent look at a shot, but we felt OK, put it behind us and we just went after it,” Udoka said.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) spins away from Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Brooks hit two 3-pointers early in the extra period to put the Rockets in control.
“It was big when Dillon came out and hit those two, and then we guarded even better until the end of the overtime,” Udoka said.
The game had a little extra flair from the start. Confetti from a previous event rained down on the floor right before the tip.
The Thunder trailed by double digits in the first quarter, but rallied to lead 50-49 at halftime.
The Thunder led 69-62 when Giddey fouled Jabari Smith Jr. Giddey tried to help him up and Brooks pushed Giddey away and was issued a technical foul. It was Brooks’ 14th of the season, putting him two short of a one-game suspension.
Oklahoma City took an 85-80 lead into the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Visit the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Thunder: Host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Oklahoma City Thunder center Mike Muscala, back, tries to steal the ball from Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, right, drives against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., left, is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Bailey Ober learned Friday that the best medicine is not to allow a hit for as long as possible.
Ober took a no-hitter into the sixth inning while fighting through a stomach bug, Carlos Santana homered and the Minnesota Twins extended their winning streak to five games, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-3.
Santana drove in two runs, while Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers and Willi Castro each had an RBI to help the Twins win the opener of a three-game series and a six-game trip.
Ober (2-1) was charged with two runs on three hits over 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts to continue his recent domination after he gave up eight runs on nine hits over 1 1/3 innings of his season debut against Kansas City. In his four starts since, Ober has a 1.47 ERA over 24 1/3 innings, while allowing a combined 11 hits.
“I think you kind of relax a little bit,” Ober said about having an illness that forced him to sharpen his focus. “I feel like you take pressure off yourself to perform just because you know you're not feeling great out there and you're not thinking about too much. You're trying to execute pitches and that's about it.”
Left-hander Caleb Thielbar got the final out for his first save of the season and the second of his career.
Patrick Sandoval (1-4) gave up four runs (three earned) over 5 2/3 innings for the Angels, who lost for the seventh time in their last eight games. Nolan Schanuel drove in a pair of runs for Los Angeles and Zach Neto had an RBI.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Santana’s home run to center field, his second. Buxton made it 2-0 with his RBI single in the third.
With Ober in control, the Twins added a third run in the fifth inning on a Jeffers single and made it 4-0 in the sixth when Santana drove in his second run of the game on a single.
The Angels finally got their first hit when Luis Rengifo hit a blooper to shallow center field just out of the reach of Castro at shortstop. After a double from Neto put two runners aboard, Schanuel ended the shutout bid with his RBI grounder to shortstop.
“Despite all that, we still had ourselves in position to win that game,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We just have to get our offense going earlier. It’s the second game in a row we went into the sixth with a no-hitter. But from the sixth to the ninth, we fought.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has been impressed with how Ober has not only turned things around after a clunker in his opener, but continues to pitch at a high level, even with an illness.
“When a guy's sick, you don't know if he's fine, he's going to keel over, or something in between. You just don't know,” Baldelli said. "We kept a close eye on him but man he was direct. He was grabbing the ball, throwing strikes and he had the cutter working pretty good. He looked great. He didn't look sick, that's for sure. He pitched about as well as you can pitch.
Schanuel added an RBI single in the eighth inning before Castro got the run back for the Twins on an RBI double in the ninth. Neto drove in a run for the Angels in the ninth inning.
“We just couldn’t find a way to get on base,” Washington said. "We finally cashed in with Rengifo’s hit and then things started to fall in our favor. But we need to get our offense going earlier.”
Former Twins infielder Miguel Sano started at third base for the Angels and went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts. Before going unsigned and not playing last season, Sano was in Minnesota for eight seasons and hit 162 home runs.
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Twins: RHP Jhoan Duran (oblique) had his second rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul moved back a day because of a rain out. ... RHP Justin Topa (knee) will make his second rehab appearance at St. Paul on Sunday after he had three strikeouts in an inning of work Thursday.
Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon said he has a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring, with the update coming five days after he was placed on the injured list with a “strain.” It is expected to be a lengthy recovery for Rendon, who has yet to play more than 58 games in any of his previous four seasons with the club, although one of those was the shortened 2020 pandemic season. ... RHP Chase Silseth (elbow) took part in a light throwing session.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Chris Paddack (1-1, 5.57 ERA) returns to the mound after a 10-strikeout performance against the White Sox on Monday, his most since June of 2021. Angels RHP Jose Soriano (0-3, 3.43 ERA) will make his fourth career start after not giving up an earned run over six innings Sunday against the Reds.
Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro runs to score off a single hit by Byron Buxton during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout watches a foul ball during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, right, reacts after being picked off by Minnesota Twins shortstop Willi Castro while trying to steal second during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Minnesota Twins' Jose Miranda slides into second base after hitting a double during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout, bottom, is picked off stealing second by Minnesota Twins shortstop Willi Castro, front top, during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
