Jalen Green‘s spectacular performance, tying a career-high with 42 points, propelled the Houston Rockets to a 137-114 victory over the Washington Wizards during Tuesday’s NBA action, marking their sixth consecutive win.
Houston’s triumph places them just 2 1/2 games shy of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference, thanks to significant contributions from Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet alongside Green.
“I’ve had runs where I’d get hot and cool down,” Green said. “My main goal is just to keep building on the hot streaks and be as consistent as possible and affect the game in ways even when I’m not scoring the ball well.”
The Wizards, missing key players like Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija due to injuries, managed to keep the game competitive with their three-point shooting until a decisive moment in the third quarter led by Green.
“Really it was the last six minutes of the third,” Wizards interim coach Brian Keefe said. “That game was back and forth, pretty much the whole game until that point. Obviously Green, we made a couple blown coverages on some of our pick-and-roll stuff and he got hot. And it was hard to turn him off after that.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards Updates
Green’s explosive third quarter included 15 points and helped extend Houston’s lead significantly, closing the quarter on a 25-6 run. Houston also saw a solid performance from Jabari Smith Jr. and contributions across the board, with multiple players scoring in double figures.
“I think we had eight of the nine guys in double figures,” Keefe said. “So there were a lot of positives.”
The Rockets’ defensive effort was highlighted by Jock Landale‘s seven blocks, contributing to Houston’s overall 11 blocked shots, which stifled Washington’s scoring attempts.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards Updates
Rockets coach Ime Udoka emphasized the need for defensive intensity despite the high-scoring offense, pushing the team to maintain focus and not underestimate the Wizards.
The Wizards’ struggle continues, with the team notching only four home wins this season and holding the NBA’s worst record.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Jalen Green, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards Updates
As both teams prepare for their next matchups, the Rockets look to build on their winning momentum, while the Wizards aim to find form in the remaining part of the season.
