Houston rallies off Jalen Green’s 35, get home win coming off of All-Star break
Well, 9-0. That’s the Houston Rockets’ record when Jalen Green scores 30 or more points in a game this season, While it may seem like a small sample size or a insignificant stat, the obvious correlation between Houston’s success and Jalen’s is something that cannot be denied, and against the Minnesota Timberwolves, that was once again further proved as the point.
Starting the game off on a heater, the Rockets used their defensive stops to create their transition opportunities on the offensive end. Also capitalizing on the refs who couldn’t make a consistent call but a bad one for either team, Houston was able to get many shots at the line in the first, something we haven’t seen much of this season. With 13 points from Jalen Green (35-5-4 on 12/24 from field and 5/11 from three), and eight points from the returning Jabari Smith Jr., the main key in the first was scoring and scoring efficiently So, by the end of the first quarter, the Rockets were shooting an impressive 17-of-23 from the field, 6-of-8 from three, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Their aggressive play led to 22 points in the paint and 11 fast-break points, helping them build a 48-38 lead to end the quarter.
However, the second quarter was a much different story, with Houston struggling to get anything to go and allowing a Minnesota comeback. Going cold from the field, turning the ball over left and right, and struggling from beyond the arc, the Rockets overall poor play would give the Wolves a needed momentum shift in the second, letting them go on a 15-5 run early on. Led by Naz Reid’s (22-8-3 with three blocks) seven points and three assists as well as Anthony Edwards’ (37-4-3, 13-32 from field, 4-14 from three) ten points, Houston’s lead was cut to just one by halftime, 68-67.
The third quarter was more of a fast paced back and forth, with both teams struggling to create any separation from another. Naz Reid continued to be a problem for Houston, while Edwards added 11 more points onto his scoring total. But, Houston locked in defensively late in the period, closing on an 8-2 run to take a 98-93 lead into the fourth quarter. Aaron Holiday quietly had a strong game off the bench, contributing eight of his ten points in the third quarter and providing much needed defensive energy.
The fourth quarter though was all about defense and closing out the game, both in which Houston thrived at. After giving up 34 to Edwards through just three quarters, the Rockets defense in the fourth was able to hold him to just three, ensuring he wouldn’t be the guy to beat them if they were to lose. Even with halting Minnesota’s offense by forcing bad shots, Houston’s turnover problems would cause the game to remain close late on. It wasn’t until two timely buckets by Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, and a few defensive stops would the Rockets finish the game out and get the 121-115 win.
While Jalen Green played an excellent game, both Amen Thompson (17-10-6, 7/9 from field) and the returning Jabari Smith (15-9 on 4/6 from three) did as well, each filling up the stat sheet in their own right. So while turnovers (20 total) and inconsistency on defense remained an issue all night long, Houston’s efficiency (42-84 from inside the arc, 13-26 from deep, and 24-32 from the FT line) and ability to force stops when it mattered most proved to be the difference in this one.
The Rockets now look to build on this post all star break momentum as they take on the 13-42 Jazz in Utah on Saturday night.