For 68 prolonged seconds, Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün could only watch from the sidelines as his team gradually let go of the rope at the most inopportune time. The large video screen hanging from the ceiling of T-Mobile Arena indicated the semifinal was anything but over — the Oklahoma City Thunder were clinging to an 84-79 lead with more than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Houston Rockets have managed their rebuild about as responsibly as possible. They've hoarded draft picks, and thus far done relatively well with them. They've pursued veteran free agents, but have always managed to do so with an eye on value.

In the NBA Cup semifinal, the Houston Rockets couldn’t outlast the Oklahoma City Thunder in a defensive-fueled matchup, falling 111-96. The game featured the to