Alexander was stumped, halted bya Houston defense that reaps on creativity and would hate to see a shot fall on its account.  And so, the Thunder’s 111-96 win against the Rockets on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in the NBA Cup semifinals became as much a game of wit as it was brutality.

In a matchup between the NBA's two best defenses, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets, 111-96. The Rockets shot 35-for-96 (36.5%) from the field

It just felt like it. In the NBA Cup spotlight against the suffocating defense of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets’ offense broke down until their defense could hold off the OKC charge no longer. The Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter and ...