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Nov 2, 2015 - 7:13 AM With their two stars back healthy, the Oklahoma City Thunder seem poised for a return to the Western Conference's upper echelon.

The Houston Rockets are hurting, and haven't resembled anything close to a contender.

Oklahoma City puts its unblemished record on the line, while the reeling Rockets seek an elusive first victory of 2015-16, when the teams square off Monday in Houston.

After extensive absences from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led to a 3-12 start and sabotaged a 2014-15 campaign in which they narrowly missed a playoff berth, the Thunder (3-0) have already matched the win total from last season's first 15 games under new coach Billy Donovan. And Durant and Westbrook have been two reasons why Oklahoma City is off to its best start since opening 5-0 in 2011-12.

Durant has averaged 30.0 points while showing no effects from the foot problems that limited the 2014 MVP to 27 games last season. He had 25 on 8-of-11 shooting in just 28 minutes as Oklahoma City cruised to a 117-93 win over Denver on Sunday, the Thunder's first easy result after needing fourth-quarter rallies to dispose of San Antonio and Orlando.

Westbrook tallied 48 points in Friday's 139-136 double-overtime decision over the Magic and is averaging 32.0 points and 8.7 assists while shooting 50.0 percent.

Both rested along with Oklahoma City's other starters during the fourth quarter of Sunday's rout, in which the Thunder displayed their impressive depth and skill by shooting 52.3 percent and having seven players finish in double figures.

"When we play like that, when everybody plays together like that, it makes it easy," Durant said.

Durant missed two of Oklahoma City's three 2014-15 meetings with Houston (0-3) as the Rockets swept the series en route to a Southwest Division title and West finals appearance. That Houston team sported one of the league's more efficient offenses, an attribute that can't be applied to this one at the moment.

The Rockets have shot a lowly 37.1 percent while averaging 88.7 points in losses to Denver, Golden State and Miami, all by 20-point margins. They've committed at least 17 turnovers in each game while starting 0-3 for the first time since opening with five straight losses in 2010-11.

''We have not played well all preseason. We have not played well in the first three games,'' coach Kevin McHale said. ''No one feels sorry for us. We just have got to go out and find our rhythm and keep on playing.''

James Harden's struggles have been the most alarming, with the 2015 MVP runner-up now 3 for 32 from 3-point range after missing all 10 attempts in Sunday's 109-89 loss to the Heat. Harden finished 2 of 15 overall after a 4-of-18 effort against Golden State on Friday.

Harden averaged 30.3 points and made 14 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc last season against the Thunder.

Defense has been an issue as well, particularly during a second half in which Miami outscored the Rockets 65-26 to overcome a deficit as large as 21 points.

''You can't have a stagnant offense and not get stops,'' Harden said. ''That's a sign of disaster, which happened in the second half.''

Houston was playing without Dwight Howard as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year was rested on the first night of a back-to-back. He's slated to play Monday, though forward Terrence Jones (eyelid laceration) is uncertain after also missing Sunday's game.