Carmelo Anthony must have been hoping for a better return to Oklahoma City.
The 34-year-old forward missed 10 of his 11 shots and tallied just two points off the bench in the Rockets’ 98-77 road loss to the Thunder on Thursday. Anthony was a minus-22 in the game.
The Thunder, playing without star Russell Westbrook, who is dealing with a sprained ankle, headed into halftime with a 14-point lead. They pushed their advantage to 20 by the end of the third quarter and cruised to the victory.
Six players reached double-figures for Oklahoma City in the win, led by 20 from forward Paul George. James Harden tallied 19 points and eight rebounds for Houston in the losing effort.
⚡️PG lights up Q2 w/14p#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/DZoYocOfCN
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 9, 2018
Anthony spent last season with the Thunder before he was traded to the Hawks in mid-July in exchange for a package centered around Dennis Schroder. He was bought out by Atlanta and then signed with the Rockets.
Studs of the night
Clint Capela scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in the Rockets’ loss to the Thunder.
Kyrie Irving tallied 39 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the Celtics' 116-109 come-from-behind overtime win over the Suns.
Duds of the night
Besides Anthony, Chris Paul also struggled in the Rockets loss. He connected on four of his 11 shots and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.
Isaiah Canaan shot 3-of-14 from the field and was a minus-9 in the Suns loss to the Celtics.
Highlights
Bucks center John Henson with a big block of Kevin Durant.
John Henson extends for the @Bucks denial! ?
— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2018
Through Q1 in Oakland:#FearTheDeer 32#DubNation 29
Khris Middleton: 10 PTS, 4-6 FGM
Klay Thompson: 10 PTS, 4-5 FGM
?: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/G5dABmsLk6
CJ McCollum takes it the length of the floor for a dunk.
CJ McCollum on a SPRINT! ??#RipCity 24#ClipperNation 20
— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2018
WATCH on #NBA League Pass: https://t.co/L3VurkatG8 pic.twitter.com/CMWBXbBmZi
What’s next
Hornets (6-5) at 76ers (7-5) 7 p.m. ET – The Hornets will look to continue their surprising start to the season when they face the 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday. The 76ers have been mediocre so far, but are one of the most talented teams in the Eastern Conference.