/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/1131999/20121001_gav_ad1_119.0.jpg)
The new-look Houston Rockets grabbed a victory in their preseason opener on Wednesday night, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-105 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
The game see-sawed back and forth throughout the first half, with the Rockets going into the break trailing by one. A 12-2 Houston run at the end of the third quarter gave the Rockets a lead that they would never relinquish. The Thunder got within three on several occasions in the fourth quarter, but they never got any closer.
The story of the game for the Rockets was the play of rookie forward Terrence Jones. The No. 18 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in 25 impressive minutes. Jones also pulled down six boards. Fellow rookie Jeremy Lamb poured in 12 points of his own.
The performance of Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, the Rockets' big free agent acquisitions, was a bit of a mixed bag. Lin scored only three points but did hand out six assists, while Asik had nine points and seven rebounds.
Houston will take on the New Orleans Hornets on Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT.