Jalen Green’s Playoff Redemption Leads Rockets to Victory Over Warriors
HOUSTON — In his National Basketball Association playoff debut, Jalen Green confessed that the charged atmosphere of the playoffs had rattled him, making the game seem more daunting than ever before. “The lights were bright, the crowd was here, the court looked huge,” Green remarked, reflecting on the overwhelming sense of occasion. “So I couldn’t really get a chance to settle in. My legs were a little shaky.”
But Wednesday night’s scenario differed significantly. Green made an impressive comeback, sinking eight 3-pointers and amassing 38 points as he spearheaded the Houston Rockets to a 109-94 win over the Golden State Warriors, thus leveling the first-round Western Conference series at one game apiece. “I feel like I did a good job of answering back,” Green asserted confidently. “From the beginning my whole mindset today was to go in and be aggressive and get back to being myself.”
The Warriors, seeded seven, struggled without significant contributions from Jimmy Butler, who had to exit the game due to a pelvis contusion sustained in a fall resulting from a foul in the first quarter.
As the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, Green showcased a dramatic turnaround from his playoff debut when he made just seven points from 3-of-15 shooting, now dominating Game 2. His eight 3-pointers were particularly notable, as the Rockets had managed only six 3-pointers on 29 attempts during their 95-85 defeat in Game 1. Supporting Green’s efforts, Alperen Sengun contributed 17 points and hauled in 16 rebounds, while Tari Eason added 14 points coming off the bench.
Houston’s coach, Ime Udoka, praised the dynamic performance of Green paired with Sengun. He noted, “When they’re both rolling, we’re hard to beat.” The series continues as Game 2 is set to take place Saturday night at Golden State.
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry provided a noteworthy effort with 20 points and nine assists, entering the elite group of NBA history as the 11th player to achieve 4,000 career playoff points. He concluded the game with a total of 4,017 points. “He did a great job,” noted coach Steve Kerr. “We just didn’t have enough tonight.”
With a commanding 20-point lead and ten minutes remaining, the Rockets seemed in control until the Warriors mounted a 9-0 rally – energized by two 3-pointers from Quinten Post – narrowing the gap to 11 points. However, a flagrant foul on Draymond Green by Jalen Green, who inadvertently swung into his face, momentarily halted the momentum. In response, Houston reignited with an 8-0 surge, underscored by Green’s step-back 3-pointer, creating a 99-80 lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go.
The passionate exchanges included Draymond Green receiving a technical foul for arguing with the referees while Eason got one for throwing a towel “unsportsmanlikly.”
The absence of Jimmy Butler, a crucial acquisition from Miami in February, was deeply felt by the Warriors after his significant contribution of 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in the opening game. There remains uncertainty regarding Butler’s availability for Game 3, with coach Kerr indicating a pending MRI on Thursday to assess his condition. “Hopefully, Jimmy will be able to play,” Kerr shared. “But if not, we have to go through our options and put together a plan.”
Adding pressure to the Warriors, Brandin Podziemski had an illness that plagued his first-half performance, leaving him scoreless in 14 minutes following a 14-point effort in Game 1.
As the competition intensifies, both teams will need to recalibrate strategies and address player availabilities to gain an edge in the closely-fought series.