The Houston Rockets rebounded to win Game 2 in Round 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs after Jalen Green delivered a historic performance. Green scored 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting, including eight 3-pointers, leading the Rockets to a 109-94 victory at the Toyota Center.
Green, 23, who is playing in his first series, admitted to being slightly nervous in Game 1. He scored only seven points on 3-of-15 shooting.
“The lights were bright, the crowd was here, the court looked huge,” he said. “So I couldn’t really get a chance to settle in. My legs was a little shaky.”
Things settled on Wednesday and it showed. Green became the youngest player to score 38 points in a playoff game.
“I feel like I did a good job of answering back,” he said. “From the beginning, my whole mindset from today was to go in and be aggressive and get back to being myself.”
His eight made 3-pointers was also more than the entire Rockets team combined in Game 1, where they shot 6-of-29.
Game 1 was all Alperen Şengün, where he scored 26 and 9 rebounds and put the team on his back. Game 2 was a more collective effort. Yes, Green went bonkers, but he also got help from Şengün, who finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. Dillion Brooks scored 16 points, Amen Thompson added 11 and Tari Eason contributed with 14 points off the bench.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka praised his two young stars for their efforts in Game 2.
“When they’re both rolling (Green and Şengün), we’re hard to beat,” he said.
Stephen Curry, who dazzled in Game 1 with 31 points, finished with only 20 on in the second game. Jimmy Butler only scored three points but only played seven minutes because he left the game in the first quarter with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall.
Game 3 will be played Saturday night at Golden State and the Warriors are uncertain about Butler’s status.
“Hopefully Jimmy will be able to play,” he said. “But if not we have to go through our options and put together a plan.”
