After a quiet Playoff debut, Jalen Green erupted for 38 points on Wednesday night, hitting a franchise Playoff-tying record of eight 3-pointers to propel the Houston Rockets to a 109-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors. This marks Houston’s first Playoff win since 2020.
Green’s performance, his highest-scoring game since mid-January, was complemented by Alperen Sengun’s stellar stat line of 17 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. The Rockets established an early double-digit lead and maintained control throughout the game. Green joined Hakeem Olajuwon as the only Rockets to score at least 38 points in a Playoff game at age 23 or younger.
Green and Sengun, who both entered the league in the 2021 NBA Draft, combined for 55 points in their first Playoff win together. Sengun commented on their journey, stating, “I told him ‘we earned this.’ We came a long way, we’ve seen the bottom, now we’re seeing the top.”
Steph Curry led the Warriors with 20 points, but the team was held below 95 points for the second consecutive Playoff game, a first for them since 2018. The Rockets’ defense has been effective against the Warriors, holding them under 100 points in five of their seven matchups this season.
The series is now tied 1-1 and will shift to the Bay Area for the next two games, with Game 3 scheduled for Saturday night. The Warriors suffered a setback as Jimmy Butler III left the game early in the first quarter with a pelvic contusion and did not return. He is scheduled for an MRI today.