Basketball: Steven Adams nets career high

Oklahoma City Thunder centre Steven Adams in action against Houston. Photo / Getty

A career-high 24 points from Kiwi centre Steven Adams and a record-equalling triple double from Russell Westbrook has not been enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder to topple the Houston Rockets today.

The Rockets held on to claim a 102-99 victory, snapping the Thunder's winning streak at six in a final quarter noticeable for the absence of Adams.

Adams had compiled 24 points and 10 rebounds by three-quarter time but didn't add to those stats in the final period as Thunder coach Billy Donovan plumped first for Enes Kanter, then for a small-ball lineup featuring Jerami Grant at centre.

The decision paid dividends as the Thunder came back from a double-digit deficit with seven minutes to play to make it a one-point game in the final seconds.

Adams was re-instated with 17 seconds left, but Westbrook shot an awful airball, pressured by excellent defence from Rockets guard Patrick Beverley, as the Rockets took the win to move to 16-7 on the season.

Westbrook is now 4-27 on potential go-ahead shots in the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter/overtime in his career.

Adams' 24 points broke his career-high of 20 set just last month, shooting 8-9 from the field and 8-9 from the free-throw line in 29 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, Westbrook picked up his seventh straight triple-double, the first player to do that since Michael Jordan 27 years ago.

He finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but shot just 8-25 from the field, missed all seven threes, had eight turnovers and played his usual brand of sporadic defence.

Former Thunder player James Harden finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists for the Rockets, but also shot poorly, going at 6-23 from the field and coughing up eight turnovers.