The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Houston Rockets in game 1 on the road, 118-87. In a head-to-head matchup between potential MVP candidates James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Harden came out on top in a big way, both collectively and individually. Harden outperformed Westbrook with a final stat line of 37-9-7 with 3 steals. Westbrook played one of his worst games of the season, finishing with 22 points on 6-23 shooting, including 3-11 from 3-point range and 9 turnovers.
The lopsided loss to Houston was the result of a dreadful 2nd half of play where OKC was outscored 59-33, fueled not so much by a Rockets onslaught (though that did happen late), but in a complete inability to play consistently on either side of the court for the final 24 minutes.