Jalen Green delivered a career-defining performance Tuesday night, drilling eight three-pointers and scoring 38 points to lead the No. 2-seeded Houston Rockets to a convincing 109-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. With the win, the Rockets tied the series at 1-1 heading into Game 3 in San Francisco on Saturday night.
Green, who struggled in his playoff debut with just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting in Game 1, flipped the script in front of a raucous Houston crowd. His eight triples not only paced the Rockets but also surpassed their total team output from Game 1, where Houston went just 6-of-29 from beyond the arc in a 95-85 loss.
“It was just about bouncing back,” said Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. “I didn’t feel like myself in Game 1. Tonight, I let it fly.”
The Rockets led wire-to-wire in a game that was physical, testy, and at times, chippy. Houston capitalized on the early departure of Jimmy Butler, who exited late in the first quarter with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall on a foul play. The star wing, acquired by Golden State in a February trade from Miami, had 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in Game 1 and was expected to be a focal point in the series.
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday, and his availability for Game 3 remains uncertain.
Without Butler, the seventh-seeded Warriors struggled to generate consistent offense. Stephen Curry finished with 20 points and nine assists, becoming just the 11th player in NBA history to surpass 4,000 career playoff points. He now sits at 4,017.
Houston built a commanding 20-point lead with just over 10 minutes to play, before the Warriors went on a 9-0 run, fueled by two three-pointers from rookie Quinten Post, to trim the deficit to 11. But the momentum was short-lived. Green answered with a step-back three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run that put the Rockets up 99-80 with five and a half minutes remaining.
The final stretch included a series of heated moments. Green was assessed a flagrant foul for flailing an arm into Draymond Green’s face, while Draymond responded with a technical foul after arguing with officials. Tari Eason, who added 14 points off the bench for Houston, also received a technical for tossing a towel in what referees deemed “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Alperen Sengun played a pivotal role in the paint for Houston, recording a double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds. The Rockets dominated the glass and controlled the tempo from start to finish.
“This was more like the team we’ve been all season,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. “Jalen set the tone, and we played with intensity on both ends.”
With Butler’s status in question and Houston finding its rhythm, all eyes now turn to Game 3 at Chase Center. If Green and the Rockets can replicate this performance on the road, the series could tilt heavily in their favor.
