Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 135-119 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards on Thursday, March 14 (Friday, March 15, Manila time) for their sixth win in seven games.
The Filipino-American Green shot 15 for 23 from the floor, drilled five three-pointers and grabbed 8 rebounds. He was the focal point of a balanced offensive attack that yielded six scorers in double figures, including rookie Amen Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals) and Fred VanVleet, who paired 27 points with 9 assists.
Dillon Brooks and Jock Landale added 13 points apiece for the Rockets (31-35), who have won four consecutive games.
Houston shot a robust 59.3% overall and made 12-of-28 three-pointers.
The Wizards (11-55) fashioned a competitive third quarter but weren’t able to slice their 24-point deficit early in the third quarter to single digits.
Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points – including 13 in the third – while Deni Avdija added 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 23 points while making 8-of-10 shots. Washington shot 49.5%.
The Wizards were stubborn early, opening 6-of-9 en route to a 17-15 lead. But with Thompson scoring 12 points in the first quarter, the Rockets carved out a seven-point advantage before the Wizards closed to within 33-31 entering the second period.
There were eight lead changes and seven ties in the first quarter, but Houston seized control in the second. Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points) stroked a three-pointer after VanVleet scored a three-point play and a trey of his own as part of a 13-4 run that enabled the Rockets to take a 51-39 lead.
The Wizards took a timeout but failed to stem the tide. The Rockets ultimately extended their advantage to 22 points with a flurry of paint points against the Wizards’ leaky defense.
Houston turned a 42-point second quarter into a 75-56 halftime cushion, recording 22 points in the paint in the period. The Rockets shot 76.2%in the quarter, with Green, Landale, Smith and VanVleet combining for 30 points on 11-for-11 shooting. – Rappler.com