Dec 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) attempts to secure the ball away from Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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2024 NBA Cup semifinal: Thunder vs. Rockets – Preview, team news, and more

This NBA Cup semi-final will begin at 8:30 PM ET.

The second semi-final of the 2024 NBA Cup will see the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The Thunder have been one of the most consistent teams this season, carrying over their strong form from last year when they finished first in the Western Conference. Mark Daigneault’s side has been firing on all cylinders, winning three of their four group-stage games, with their only loss coming against the San Antonio Spurs.

In the quarterfinals, the Thunder took down a star-studded Dallas Mavericks in a thrilling game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is having an MVP-caliber season, was the star of the night, scoring 39 points.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have been the surprise package of the Western Conference this season. The team has grown into a well-rounded unit despite being one of the youngest teams in the league.

Prep for a big day tomorrow.

Goodnight from Vegas 👏 pic.twitter.com/Ht08tpzOrV
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) December 14, 2024

Also Read: NBA Cup 2024 Semifinals – Teams, Schedule, Time, Livestream and more

Their path to the semifinals saw them finish the group stage with a 3-1 record. However, their biggest test came in the quarterfinals when they faced the Warriors, a team they had failed to beat in their previous 15 games. However, this time, the Rockets held their nerve and edged out the Golden State in the final minute to seal the semi-final berth.

Thunder vs. Rockets Team News

The Thunder has a long list of injured players ahead of the semi-final. Ousmane Dieng (Finger), Alex Ducas (Back), Jaylin Williams (Hamstring), Adam Flagler (Finger), Chet Holmgren (Hip) have been ruled out of the game.

Meanwhile, Nikola Topic (ACL) is ruled out of the season.

Meanwhile, the Rockets would be fretting over the status of Dillon Brooks who has been listed as questionable due to illness.

Thunder vs. Rockets Game Details

When: Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 8:30 PM ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: TNT
Live stream: Fubo, NBA League Pass

Oklahoma Thunder’s probable starting lineup

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, Jaylen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein

Houston Rockets’ probable starting lineup

Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, Alperen Sengun

Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets

Jalen Green

NBA Cup 2024

Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.