Three Takeaways From the OKC Thunder's Road Loss to Houston Rockets

Losing two in a row wasn't how the Oklahoma City Thunder envisioned its two games against two of the league's top teams in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers. 

Luckily, it bounced back from the pair of mishaps with two straight wins, also against two strong squads. The Thunder not only proved its ability to compete, but also adapt in needed areas of improvement. And Wednesday night was another opportunity for them to prove that. Only, it didn't quite work out that way.

Instead of knocking off the Houston Rockets on the road, Oklahoma City fell short in a game that was all-too winnable and broke what would've been a three-game win streak. Oklahoma City's loss isn't concerning, nor is it a sign of things to come. But that being said, here are three takeaways to sum up the unproductive night for the Thunder:

Starting Production Starts Production ... Again

Two games ago, the biggest takeaway from the Thunder's win over the Lakers was that allowing production to stem from the starting unit and make its way down the roster is a recipe for success.

If a team's first-five out performs well, naturally, the team will be in a good spot prior to the first round of substitutions. From there, the production — if all goes according to plan — trickles down and multiplies with time. In the Lakers game, that's exactly what happened. But Wednesday night? The opposite was true. 

Houston got out to a quick start, and when all said and done, every starter — that is, Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. — found the bottom of the bucket, with all but Smith Jr. crossing the double digit mark. Each of those five for the Rockets also had either a zero or a positive plus-minus, marking a complete domination from the starting unit. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his thing, dropping 33 points on the night, but he was one of the few bright spots for the Thunder. All of Oklahoma City's starters finished with a negative plus-minus, as they couldn't really get things going in the first unit. 

That turned into an inability to truly get in the game, as Houston went on to secure a home victory the way it had set out to do. 

Tre Mann's Efficient Outing

Only four Thunder players finished with double figures on the night. 

Gilgeous-Alexander was, of course, one of them. Jalen Williams was as well, but off the bench, that feat went to Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins. Mann, especially, had himself a highly efficient night. He didn't blow open the stat sheet, but he did tally 20 points, two steals and four assists on 50 percent shooting. 

For an Oklahoma City squad that's second to only the San Antonio Spurs in terms of youngest roster, being able to rely on players like Mann and Wiggins is crucial. Yes, rallying behind Gilgeous-Alexander is a big part of the Thunder's success, but building around him was also a priority. Safe to say, guys like Mann reveal that the young team was successful in doing so. 

He just has to continue to prove his worth.

3-point Woes Are Deadly 

It's no secret that the 3-point range has reached new levels of popularity with every passing season in the NBA. 

Being able to convert from long distance is a skill that is no longer reserved — or expected — from just point guards. All five positions are now a big part of making it rain from behind the arc. And the Rockets delivered.

Only one starter didn't score from deep, while the rest of the lineup made sure to, some knocking down multiple. As a whole, Houston combined for 15-33 from 3-point range, which added up to a near 50 percent clip. Oklahoma City on the other hand? 

Not so prosperous. The opposite was true for the Thunder, as only one starter converted from behind the arc, joining a handful of bench players who also did, but it wasn't enough. The young team shot just 8-29 from long range for an abysmal 27.6 percent clip, and certainly had a hand in their loss. 

3-point woes are deadly. The Thunder proved that.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind our coverage.