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The Oklahoma City Thunder earned a hard-fought 111-96 win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup on Saturday night, punching a ticket to the NBA Cup Final against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in Las Vegas. It was a physical game between the two best defensive teams in the NBA, so it was no surprise to see tensions boil over late in the game.
With the outcome already decided in the final minute, Rockets star Alperen Sengun delivered a hard blow to Thunder guard Cason Wallace as the much smaller player tried to box out the big man. Wallace took exception to the hit and pushed back, leading to an exchange of words and shoves. The players had to be separated before things got out of hand:
After the game, Wallace addressed the incident and made it clear he and the Thunder won't “get punked” by anybody.
“Whatever happens out there happens, but we're not gonna get punked or shy down to anybody,” Wallace insisted.
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein loved how Wallace handled the situation and already offered to pay any fine that may come down.
“I loved it, I loved it,” Hartenstein said “My son getting into it. I already got his fine so that’s all good. I loved it. That’s been Caso all year. He's probably not been talked about enough, the things he’s doing on both ends.”
Both Wallace and Hartenstein played key roles in OKC's win. While Wallace didn't put up big numbers, his defense was huge in limiting the Rockets to 36.5% shooting. Hartenstein enjoyed a more prolific box score, going for 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Thunder are a tough group
The Thunder were already an elite team last season, but they've only gotten better with the additions of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso in 2024-25. OKC is 20-5 on the year, giving them a 2.5-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies at the top of the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate who put up a game-high 32 points on Saturday, but it's the defense that makes this team such a powerhouse. The Thunder boast the best defense in the NBA, holding opponents to a minuscule 103.1 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. There's a sizable gap between them and the No. 2 Rockets, who are allowing 105.3 points per 100 possessions. In fact, these defenses are historically good:
OKC is doing this despite Chet Holmgren's extended absence, so there's another level for them to hit. It will be fascinating to see this hard-nosed group go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA Cup Final. We know The Greek Freak plays a physical brand of basketball, but the Thunder won't back down and will push right back. Get your popcorn ready.
