Rockets Blast Past Wizards, 137-114, Win Sixth Straight
Greenlit. Block Landale. Capitol Victory.
Jalen Green continues to evolve into a star in this league, as he scored 42 points to lead the Rockets to a 137-114 win over the Wizards on Tuesday night. The 42 points ties a career-high for Green, who’s efficiency and consistency has both spiked since the All-Star Break. In his first game after being named the Western Conference’s Plaer of the Week, Green scored 42 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including an impressive 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. In the past, Green would put up big numbers, but it didn’t necessarily translate into winning basketball. Now, Green’s showing an increased confidence and maturity on the court that’’s propelled his game to different levels. He finished the win in D.C. with a plus/minus of plus 26, second on the team. Whereas he used to be a stat padded, Green has been easily the Rockets best player during this current win streak. His improvement as a rebounder continues, as Green grabbed 10 boards on the evening as well. The young guard is playing with more aggressive and confidence. Green’s being more active on both ends of the court, leading to his increase in rebounding numbers. With Sengun out, Green’s taken full-advantage of increased usage. We’re finally seeing glimpses of the player the Rockets envisioned they were getting when they drafted Green with the second overall pick back in 2021. His next step is working on facilitating chances for teammates, a facet of the game Green’s already improving on this season. He’s shown he has the potential to dish out more assists with his quickness and play-making ability, even achieving his first career triple-double earlier this season.
Houston spent a little more time in the locker room than usual at halftime after holding only a three-point lead over the Wizards at the break. Whatever Coach Ime Udoka said fired up his squad, as the Rockets burst out the gates after halftime, outscoring Washington 41-25 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Jabari Smith Jr. had another solid contest with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet dished out 11 dimes to pass the 500 assist mark for this season, the most he’s had in any campaign of his career. And starting once again, Amen Thompson had one the of best games of his career. The rookie was a beast cutting and finishing around the basket with several ferocious dunks. Thompson finished the night with a career-high 25 points, to go with 10 rebounds, and team-high in plus/minus of plus 32. And Jock Landale recorded a career-high 7 blocks as he was a beast inside the paint defensively. Landalde has quietly been solid as a reserve, teaming up with Thompson, Smith Jr. and others to fill in the minutes that would’ve been designated for Alperen Sengun.
With the victory, the Rockets have now won six games in a row and eight of their last nine overall. After starting the season 5-24 on the road, Houston has won five consecutive away from Toyota Center. This was a huge win, as the Rockets are now 33-35, now only 2.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the final Play-In Spot. Houston holds the NBA’s best record this month, as they’ve gone 8-1 so far in March. It’s unfortunate Sengun and Cam Whitmore suffered season-ending injuries just as Houston seemed to turn matters around with this late push to sneak into the Play-In. Regardless, everyone else has stepped up accordingly. Green’s been playing at an All-Star level. Thompson is receiving more opportunities and finally showing why he was a lottery pick. Jabari Smith Jr. continues to quietly have a solid second season, and the team as a whole has really bought in on the defensive end. The Rockets still need a lot of luck to go their way over these remaining 14 games to make the Play-In, but they’ve given themselves a chance with this six-game winning streak. Up next, Houston returns home for three very winnable games at Toyota Center. If Jalen Green continues to play at a high level, and the Rockets stick to their defensive principles, this streak could extend into the next few games.