# Bogdanovic makes his case as Rockets rout Thunder in preseason finale Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com) Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/article/bogdanovic-makes-his-case-as-rockets-rout-thunder-in-preseason-finale-mvb8xuv3 Section: Basketball (https://sportsbriefly.com/en/basketball) Author: SportsBriefly Language: en Published: 2026-10-16T17:33:27.406+00:00 Updated: 2026-10-16T17:33:27.479603+00:00 > Bogdan Bogdanovic came off the bench to hit five three-pointers and lead all scorers as Houston closed its exhibition schedule with a 116-89 rout of Oklahoma City. ## TL;DR - The Houston Rockets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-89 at Toyota Center on Thursday in the NBA preseason finale for both teams. - Veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, an offseason addition, scored a team-high 15 points on 5-of-8 three-point shooting in 16 minutes off the bench. - Alperen Sengun added 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 24 minutes; Houston's regular-season opener is Wednesday against Dallas. - Oklahoma City finished its preseason 1-4; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a minus-24 in 26 minutes as the Thunder open the season Tuesday in San Antonio. ## Key points - Rockets 116, Thunder 89 — final preseason game for both clubs at Toyota Center on Oct 15. - Bogdanovic: 15 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal in 16 minutes; 5-of-8 from three (62.5%). - Sengun: 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal in 24 minutes on 7-of-11 shooting. - Support: Amen Thompson 12 points, Tari Eason 12, Kevin Durant 11 in 16 minutes, Reed Sheppard 11; Clint Capela contributed off the bench. - Thunder: Jalen Williams 18 points and seven rebounds; Gilgeous-Alexander 17 points, three assists, minus-24. - Rockets finished preseason 2-1; Thunder 1-4; regular season begins Tuesday (OKC at San Antonio) and Wednesday (Houston vs Dallas). SECTION 1: A statement finale in Houston The Houston Rockets finished their exhibition schedule the way they intend to start the regular season: deep, connected and dangerous from distance. On Thursday night at Toyota Center, Houston routed the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-89 in the NBA preseason finale for both teams, pulling away with a dominant second half. The headline belonged to a newcomer. Veteran sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, who joined the Rockets in the 2026 offseason, scored a team-high 15 points in just 16 minutes, connecting on 5-of-8 shots from three-point range. Between the added floor spacing and his constant off-ball movement, his performance gave head coach Ime Udoka something to think about before next Wednesday's regular-season opener against Dallas. SECTION 2: Sengun sets the tone Turkish center Alperen Sengun set the tone from the opening tip. In 24 minutes of action he filled the box score with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, anchoring the interior defense while facilitating the offense at a high level. Houston entered camp with nine clear rotation players, and on this evidence the group is healthy and functioning. Kevin Durant added 11 points in 16 minutes, Amen Thompson had 12 points with five rebounds and four assists, Tari Eason contributed 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, and Reed Sheppard chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Clint Capela provided steady minutes in relief with two points, three rebounds, a block and an assist. Oklahoma City leaned into its European depth during the finale. Belgian guard Ajay Mitchell and German center Isaiah Hartenstein both started, with Mitchell logging 24 minutes and Hartenstein battling inside for eight rebounds in 19 minutes. Off the bench, Spaniard Aday Mara grabbed nine rebounds with six points in 21 minutes. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points but finished a minus-24 in 26 minutes on 5-of-12 shooting. SECTION 3: The rotation question The interesting subplot is what Udoka does with Bogdanovic. Houston's nine-man core — Durant, Sengun, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Eason, Sheppard, Steven Adams and Marcus Smart — looks settled when healthy. But a 34-year-old shooter catching fire in the finale could force the coach to consider playing ten. ![basketball editorial photo](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792171216452-nl1jc1-sports-2026-10-16-evening-basketball-inside1.jpg) Depth was Houston's defining trait on Thursday: the bench sustained the momentum the starters built, and the ball movement produced a steady diet of open looks. The Thunder completed their preseason schedule at 1-4, while the Rockets finished 2-1. SECTION 4: Around the league: Celtics stay perfect, Bulls' rookie impresses Boston remained unbeaten in the preseason after a win over Charlotte. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 19 points and eight rebounds, Derrick White added 17, and Payton Pritchard paced the team with 11 assists as Boston used a double-big look at times to control the boards and the tempo. Chicago posted a preseason blowout over Milwaukee in which rookie Matas Buzelis impressed, scoring 19 points and knocking down multiple threes. The Bulls' ball movement and Josh Giddey's playmaking stood out as the team tested rotations ahead of the regular season. SECTION 5: Nets' defensive alarm Not every finale went to plan. Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez was blunt after Wednesday's 144-128 loss at the Miami Heat in his team's preseason finale, calling it a very poor defensive game. The Nets gave up 144 points to a Heat team that did not have center Bam Adebayo at its disposal, allowing Miami to shoot 59 percent from the field and pile up 32 assists. Fernandez noted it was the second time in the preseason Brooklyn had conceded around 70 points in a single half — 69 in the first half, 75 in the second — and called that unacceptable for a team that wants to be competitive. The Nets, heading into Fernandez's third season, are hoping for a significant jump after acquiring former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, and the offense showed signs of life: Brooklyn put up at least 114 points in each of its four preseason games, and Randle should help an attack that ranked 30th in offensive rating last season. ![Houston Rockets basketball action](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792172004458-35rcg6-sports-2026-10-16-evening-basketball-inside2.jpg) But defense remains the side of the floor to fix. Brooklyn also gave up 122 points to a Washington Wizards team that did not play Anthony Davis, and against Miami, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly had a triple-double in just 24 minutes while eight other Heat players scored in double figures. SECTION 6: Roster trims, injury scares, and what's next The Los Angeles Lakers made a roster move on Thursday, signing guard Jahmir Young and waiving Cole Swider as they trim toward the 15-man regular-season limit. Young, an All-NBA G League Second Team pick, averaged 25.9 points and 8.5 assists for Sioux Falls last season and will join Los Angeles' camp picture. There was a scare in Denver, where Julian Strawther left a preseason game after a left-knee incident. He finished with 11 points in that outing, but the Nuggets said Strawther would undergo an MRI, with coach David Adelman describing it as a left knee injury and further testing planned. Next up is the real thing. The Thunder open the 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday in San Antonio, while the Rockets begin on Wednesday at home against Dallas — with Udoka's rotation decisions, and whether Bogdanovic forced his way into them, the storyline to watch in Houston's camp. Mentions: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Alperen Sengun, Ime Udoka, Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Clint Capela, Toyota Center ## Sources - [rocketswire.usatoday.com](https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/rockets/2026/10/15/bogdan-bogdanovic-turns-heads-as-rockets-rout-thunder-in-preseason-finale/92275582007/) - [eurohoops.net](https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/2021470/alperen-sengun-bogdan-bogdanovic-nba-preseason-european-recap/) - [gamedaytourist.com](https://gamedaytourist.com/en/league-news/todays-nba-news-roundup-october-16/) - [netswire.usatoday.com](https://netswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/nets/2026/10/16/nets-jordi-fernandez-criticizes-defensive-woes-in-preseason-finale/92280646007/)