Mandatory credit Kim Klement-USA Today
The Thunder had no plans of digging out of a 0-3 hole.
Chris Paul scored seven points in overtime as the Thunder pulled away from Houston, 119-107 on Saturday in game three of the first round of the playoffs in the best of seven series at the Bubble.
The Thunder who was staring at a 0-3 hole, got 29 points from Dennis Schroder and Paul scored 26.
Paul connected on the decisive three-pointer to put Oklahoma up, 108-104 moments into overtime. Daniel House posed the Rocket’s final threat, draining a trey, 119-107, by that time, the game was out of reach.
Harden who fouled out with less than a minute left in regulation, led the Rockets with 38 points on 12/27 field goals and 11/15 from the free-throw line. Jeff Green came off the bench with 22 points. Eric Gordon added 18 and House tacked on 15 points.
House shot free throws with 8.7 left, tying the score at 104 but missed an opportunity to give the Rockets a one-point lead after missing the second free throw.
Trailing 82-78 opening the fourth quarter, Thunder’s Danilo Gallinari connected on a three-pointer to close in on the Rockets lead, 82-81. Though Gordon followed with a slam dunk, Paul and Alexander converted a pair of mid-range jumpers to give the Thunder a one lead, 85-84 with 8:57 remaining.
Still, neither team led by more than five points over the next couple of minutes. The battle to punch and counter continued until Paul dished off to a wide-open Alexander, which drained a trey, putting Oklahoma up, 104-103.
As the contest started, surprisingly, three layups, instead of three-pointers gave the Rockets it’s first six points of the game. During that short period, shooting guard Luguentz Dort converted a free throw for the Thunder as Houston led, 6-1.
But Oklahoma fought back, trimming the deficit to a point, 6-5 after Steven Adams’ slam and Dort’s layup.
After a quick timeout, House stroked a trey, Harden banked a layup shot and Jeff Green was credited two points after the Thunder were sited with basket interference. That completed a 7-0 run which ended when Oklahoma’s Dennis Schroeder knocked down two free throws, 13-7, Oklahoma trailed.
The Rockets led by as many as 12-points after Harden swept to the basket, laying the ball off the glass. That made the score, 19-7 with 3:06 left in the first quarter.
The remainder of the first quarter watched the score see-saw with Houston entering the second quarter up, 29-23.
Much of the same back and forth scoring got the second quarter off and running as Houston led by nine, 34-25. Still, the momentum quickly swung toward the Thunder as its defensive pressure picked up sparking its offense.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted five consecutive points, closing Houston’s lead, 41-39 with 6:40 left in the second quarter.
Then Harden drew back-to-back fouls where he made good on three of four free throws, increasing the Rockets lead, 44-39.
The progression of the second quarter turned into fireworks as both teams traded timely punches.
Each moment the Thunder drew within three points and threatened to take the lead, Houston would find a way to keep the lead by knocking down trey or Harden drawing fouls, leading to free throws.
Oklahoma’s best chance to take the lead crumbled despite a 6-0 run when Alexander converted two free throws and Schroder scored four points, trimming the lead, 56-55. But the Rockets countered with a 7-2 run after Harden scored all seven points to close out the half with Houston up, 63-57.
The third quarter had its share high moments. Alexander and Paul scored seven consecutive points, cutting the lead to two points, 66-64 with 8:40 left in the third quarter.
Oklahoma took advantage of the Rockets miss firing, to push ahead, 70-66. Gallinari got the 6-0 run started by converting three straight free throws and Alexander followed with a three-pointer.
No defense was enough to slow these warriors. Houston regained the lead, 74-72 after Jeff Green’s fast-break layup and Harden’s step-back trey as the Rockets led at the closing of the third quarter, 82-78.
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