Rockets Fly Past Wizards, 135-119, Win Fourth Straight
Different Shade. Coming Up Jock. Marching On.
Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points, as the Rockets made easy work of Wizards on Thursday night with a 135-119 win. The victory is Houston’s fourth straight, and their sixth win in the past seven games. Green has been a different player since the All-Star Break. After an inconsistent first half to the season, Green is finally playing with consistency at a higher level. Green shot an extremely efficient 15-for-23 from the floor, and also grabbed 8 boards on the evening. Fred VanVleet supplied 27 points and 9 assists, and Amen Thompson had another double-double, contributing 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets had six different players score at least 13 points, including all the starters. Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 25 points off the bench. Houston dominated the second quarter, outscoring Washington 42-25 to take control of the contest.
For the third consecutive game, Jock Landale produced a season-high in points, as he scored 13 points in 27 minutes against the Wizards. With Sengun sidelined for the season, expect to see plenty of Landale for the rest of the campaign. The Aussie has been efficient and avoided mistakes over his last three games. Landale will look to continue taking advantage of the extra playing time as we approach the final sixteen games of the regular season.
The Rockets are now 6-1 in the month of March, and they’ll look to keep their winning ways rolling as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon. With a record of 31-35, Houston still trails the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers by 4 games for the final Play-In spot. Without Sengun, who’s been the best player for the Rockets all season, it’s probably just wishful thinking imagining a scenario where Houston slips into the Play-In tournament. For now, they need to continue working on developing good habits for next season and the future. And if they keep winning and receive a bit of luck, who knows, they could possibly sneak in, but at this point it’s a long shot. The Rockets need to focus on ending this season on a positive note, and they’re certainly marching in that direction this month.