In the NBA Cup semifinal, the Houston Rockets couldn’t outlast the Oklahoma City Thunder in a defensive-fueled matchup, falling 111-96.

The game featured the top two defenses in the NBA, with OKC garnering a late lead via scorers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and more.

Houston’s defense held true for most of the game, but the team shot just 37% from the floor, with the highest scoring Rocket in Amen Thompson finishing with 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. The next closest would be Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks at 14 apiece, both with inefficient nights.

The Rockets got out to the hotter start out of the gate, scoring the first five points of the game and holding the Thunder scoreless for over three minutes before Luguentz Dort hit the team’s first shot.

The defense was well-advertised, with the Rockets shooting just 25% and OKC shooting 30% from the field in the opening frame.

The second quarter remained defense-driven, with Houston re-grabbing a 30-28 lead with seven minutes remaining in the frame. From there, the contest ramped up in physicality, with both teams getting to the line often. 

At the half, Houston held a 42-41 lead. The team’s had combined to his just six of 37 3-point attempts. Backup point guard Amen Thompson was nearly the only bright spot on offense, hitting 6-of-10 field goals for 13 points in being a steady hand for the team in the second frame.

Offense was in much higher demand in the third frame, as OKC saw an 11-0 run spurned by a flurry of 3-pointers and stops. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 in the third frame, helping Oklahoma City to their largest lead in the game to that point, 75-69. Houston scored their most points in a quarter with 27, but still trailed by six entering the final frame.

With the loss, Houston’s NBA Cup hopes have now been dashed, with OKC and Milwaukee facing off for all the marbles.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.