The Oklahoma City Thunder are back on the winning track after losing their first game of the season to the Denver Nuggets earlier in the week.

Oklahoma City convincingly defeated the Houston Rockets 126-107. They took a 75-51 lead at the end of the first half and held on until the second half without much of a fight from Houston.

Two of the Thunder’s three core players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren) combined for 58 points on the night, while the rest of the roster did their part to support them.

Here are three takeaways from Oklahoma City’s eighth win of the season:

As impressive as the Thunder’s defense has been since the start of the regular season, its offense has rarely played a complete game. Friday night may have been his strongest showing yet.

Other than Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren’s 29 points each, the rest of the offense performed well. Collectively, Oklahoma City shot 51% from the field and nearly 38% from 3-point range, with six players finishing in double figures.

While Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe were effective with 14 points, respectively, Ajay Mitchell came off the bench with 12 points and 5/6 shooting and came to the fore with 7 assists. Coach Mark Daigneault has players who can make an impact anywhere, no matter how deep on the map.

The win showed that the Thunder can make strides offensively, although they have little trouble finding success early on. When he plays a complete game, very few teams in the league can achieve that.

After the win, Oklahoma City remains at the top of the NBA defensive rankings with 97.3 points.

Holmgren’s shot-blocking prowess at the rim, Williams’ league-leading steal numbers, and the guard duo of Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso caused nightmares for opposing defenses, including the Rockets, throughout the year.

The Thunder tied their season low with 16 forced turnovers, which would be a season high for many other teams. He hasn’t shown as much stamina as usual on the defensive end, but a below-average performance is miles ahead of the rest.

If Oklahoma City’s defense continues to perform this well as the season progresses, it will be by far the best in the NBA. While Holmgren could potentially win Defensive Player of the Year, some players on the roster could also be reinstated on the All-Defensive team.

The Thunder have faced a relatively easy schedule so far outside of the Denver Nuggets, but things are about to get a lot tougher.

On Sunday, Oklahoma City will face the No. 3 seed Golden State Warriors and will take on the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns three games later. All three teams have moved ahead of other teams in the West and who is the strongest team right now will be put to the test.

There is no doubt that the Thunder are a legitimate title contender. While some of his opponents are relatively weak, the fact that he runs things by a significant margin over most of them is impressive in itself. Whether the competition is strong or not, defense and talent will continue to be implemented through its roster.

Oklahoma City now has the opportunity to eliminate any doubts and questions that may be thrown at it, especially if it can topple both Golden State and Phoenix. Winning both matches would put him in position to take control of the No. 1 seed.

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