Sam Godwin walked into the Paycom Center postgame interview room with the Bedlam trophy in hand.

Following last season’s overtime thriller win in Stillwater, the Ada native stole the hardware, thinking it’d be the final meeting between the two in-state rivals. Godwin was forced to return the trophy, which he’d been displaying by his fireplace throughout the year, this past week. 

“Obviously, we play them once this year, so we had one shot to secure the trophy,” Godwin said. “I’m glad we got it done.”

Not only did Godwin get his centerpiece back, he dropped a career-high 20 points on 10 of 14 shooting in a renewed neutral-site Bedlam matchup. Godwin’s career-best performance came inside the arena he frequented as a child watching Oklahoma City Thunder games and in front of 10,300 fans.

Led by Godwin, No. 13 Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 80-65 Saturday night at Paycom Center in the 250th all-time meeting between the two programs. With their win, the Sooners moved to 3-0 in their last three Bedlam contests and improved to 10-0 for the second time in as many seasons.

“We practiced here two days ago, it was kind of surreal,” Godwin said. “I’ve been watching Thunder games my whole life, sitting up in the bleachers so just to be on the court playing, it was really special to me so I gave it all I had.”

In addition to his career-high in scoring, Godwin added 14 rebounds for a double-double. He also finished with two blocks and three steals.

Two of Godwin’s points came off an assist from fellow Oklahoman Dayton Forsythe, who found a crashing Godwin for an easy dunk.

When he exited the floor for the final time with over a minute remaining, he was met with a standing ovation and a hug from head coach Porter Moser.

“I’m just happy for him,” Moser said postgame. “In this venue, this rivalry, being an in-state kid. He was just dialed in and it was great to see from him. It was huge for him to see it go in early.”

Now, Godwin can keep his decor. At least until the next Bedlam matchup.

More: How fast-rising NBA draft prospect Jeremiah Fears leads OU basketball into Bedlam

Sooners’ guards shine

Moser wasn’t even aware Kobe Elvis drilled five 3s until his postgame interview.

Elvis couldn’t miss as he finished with 15 points on 5 for 8 shooting from the field.

“Those are huge shots,” Moser said. “And I thought between Duke, Kobe and Fears, those three offensively, you’ve got weapons, because they all can put it on the deck, and they all can knock down a shot.”

Elvis added: “I was able to relax after the first 3. My confidence was up. I was prepared. I felt very confident.”

Fears continued his consistency with 17 points and five assists.

The Sooners’ consistent guard play from Elvis and Fears, as well as Duke Miles and Brycen Goodine on any given night has been a significant reason for their 10-0 start to the season.

“We’ve got some of the most unselfish guards in the country,” Godwin said. “They’re willing to give themselves up and hit the open player. All three of our point guards are capable of scoring in many different ways, so they open up the game and make it so much easier for everybody.”

More: Sorry, Big 12. The SEC is the best conference in men’s college basketball | Mussatto

Suffocating defense limits Cowboys

OU continues to play high-level defense.

The Sooners held the Cowboys to 39% shooting from the field and 28% from 3. They also forced 16 turnovers, finished with four blocks and held OSU to an over eight-minute stretch without a basket.

“They did a great job in transition,” Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz said postgame. “You’ve got to give them credit, they scored and then they got back and got their defense set. They turned us over 11 times in the first half.”

Oklahoma scored 21 points off turnovers and ranks 49th nationally in KenPom’s defensive rating.

“We had a ton of respect watching them on tape,” Moser said. “And for us, the biggest thing, we were just really trying to not let them get going in transition.”

If Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks’ football career doesn’t pan out, he might have a future in dramatic theater.

Burks shocked head coach Brent Venables, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and receivers coach Emmett Jones on Saturday when he met them in Venables’ office and — in dramatic fashion — informed them he would be returning for his senior year in 2025. He posted a video of the interaction on Twitter/X.

Burks, a transfer from Purdue and one of the Sooners’ most promising playmakers in last spring’s Red/White Game, sat out almost the entire season with a soft-tissue injury. Burks has eligibility left after missing all but five games this season. Venables had hinted that he expected Burks to leave for the NFL.

In the video, Burks greets the coaches in Venables’ office, then presents his head coach with his crimson No. 6 jersey. Venables humbly took it and said nobody wore it better — Burks interjected Baker Mayfield — and then extolled Burks’ many virtues and explained why he was such an asset to the program.

As they stood up to apparently part, Burks hugged Venables, smiled and said “I got one more thing though, man,” and unzipped his jacket, revealing a different OU jersey. “I ain’t gone yet. I’m switching that No. 4.”

As Venables, Arbuckle and Jones celebrated with high fives, Burks said, “I gotta do it one more time, man!”

After catching 63 passes for 804 yards and seven touchdowns in his first three years with the Boilermakers, Burks was expected to be a key playmaker for the Sooners’ rebuilt offense in 2024.

Instead, he played just four games, suffered an injury against Tennessee and sat out the next five games. He returned against Missouri, but suffered a concussion to end that loss.

For the season, Burks caught just 31 passes for 245 yards — just 7.9 yards per reception — and scored three touchdowns (all in the season opener against Temple).

In his college career, Burks has 1,049 yards on 94 receptions and has 10 touchdowns.

If healthy, his return next year could be huge for the Oklahoma offense as the Sooners rebuild again in Arbuckle’s first season as offensive coordinator. With Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony, Brenen Thompson, J.J. Hester and Jaquaize Pettaway all currently in the transfer portal, Jones’ OU receiver room has been stripped to the foundation. But Burks’ return would be a big step in the rebuild, especially if redshirt junior Jayden Gibson comes back next year.

The Sooners have lost 23 players this week to the transfer portal, so as players start transferring in, Burks’ return could give the Sooners some needed momentum.

The Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder game will take place at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a crucial game for both the Rockets and the Thunder as the winner will head straight to the finals in Las Vegas.
In this article, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the matchup, including injury reports, key players, broadcast details, and more.

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Projected starting five

Houston Rockets projected starting five

Oklahoma City Thunder projected starting five

(Note: Projected starters are subject to change. This is not the finalized roster and this applies to both the teams playing tonight.)

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Key players to watch

Houston Rockets key players

– Jalen Green
– Alperen Sengun

Oklahoma City Thunder key players

– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
– Jalen Williams

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Injury report

Houston Rockets injury report

Oklahoma City Thunder injury report

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Team stats

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Previous matchups

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Leading players

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Moneyline and odds

– Moneyline: Rockets (+190) vs Thunder (-230)
– Spread: Rockets (+5.5) vs Thunder (-5.5)
– Total (O/U): Rockets -110 (O 213.5) vs Thunder -110 (U 213.5)
(Note: Odds are correct at the time of writing and likely to change. Keep an eye out for the recent odds)

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Betting tips

Alperen Sengun scored 18.5 points, which is marginally less than his 18.8-point season average. Given that he has scored 20 points in three of his previous five games, it seems wise to wager on the over.
With 30.5 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is slightly above his season average of 30.2 points. Considering his propensity for scoring, it seems sense to wager on the over.

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Prediction

We predict that Oklahoma City will win and go to the final, as do the oddsmakers. Even with injuries, the Thunder have continuously shown that they can perform well under crisis. In a game where the team’s total points should be more than 213.5, OKC is predicted to cover the spread.

Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Date, time, and venue

The match between the Rockets and the Thunder will take place on December 14, 2024, at 8:00 pm ET. It will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Also read: Top 30 most valuable NBA teams of 2024

How to watch Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Streaming details and more

– Live Stream: fuboTV (Watch for free), ESPN+, Hulu with Live TV, and more
– NBA League Pass: NBA TV. Free trial
– TV: ABC
You can also buy the NBA League Pass to get the latest updates about all the games that take place today and henceforth.