After distributing the spankings in their last matches, notably a 147-119 against Utah, the Rockets were more than favorites before challenging the Blazers at home last night, with a ninth consecutive victory in their sights. Portland did its best, offering good opposition for three quarters before giving up in the face of the surges of Jalen Green and his teammates.
The Henderson-Reath-Camara trio first put the Oregon franchise on the right track (8-15), forcing Jock Landale to pull out all the stops against his compatriot, the Australian pivot thus started at 5 /5 on shots with two 3-point baskets in quick succession to put the locals in the lead (20-19). Not enough to calm Portland's enthusiasm, however, with an opportunistic Dalano Banton, but also a 2+1 from Toumani Camara and a 3-pointer from Rayan Rupert to continue to compete with the Texans, trailing by four points at the break despite a 3-pointer from Jalen Green shortly before the break (47-51).
Rayan Rupert shows up
In the absence of Jabari Smith Jr, Houston was first able to count on Amen Thompson, author of three baskets in his characteristic style to revive after the break. But it was when Rayan Rupert twice and Scoot Henderson fired behind the arc that the Rockets ended up revolting (55-64). Ime Udoka's troops in fact passed a 15-2 initiated by a 2+1 from Fred VanVleet and concluded by two brilliant shots from Jalen Green with a 3-pointer, a powerful dunk then a new step-back at 3-points to reverse the trend, for good this time (70-66).
Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday made their contribution to the 3-point building to complete the third quarter (80-71) and Portland never returned to the match. Still from afar, Jeff Green, Jalen Green and Reggie Bullock kept the threat away before letting Fred VanVleet finish the job with two final arrows behind the arc, without forgetting a final dunk from Jalen Green to delight the Toyota Center one last time. Enough to ensure a final victory with a score of 110-92 and allow Houston to continue its good series
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Rockets won by KO. It took a while to see the Rockets get rid of these eye-catching Blazers led by this 100% rookie major five. And then, in the third quarter, it was a 15-2 that ended up pushing Chauncey Billups' men back for good. At the helm, Jalen Green was the player who turned the game around with his rise in power after the break which materialized in this series, concluded by two 3-point baskets and a dunk. On arrival, the guard was again key in this new success with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 interceptions.
– Rayan Rupert is gaining experience. Without wanting to paraphrase the monologue of a famous scribe, we often talk about a good or bad situation when discussing the destination of a rookie. For Rayan Rupert, the Blazers will ultimately have been a good destination since the French rookie has the opportunity to see the field and make his first steps in the NBA. This is all the more the case since the franchise decided to further develop its rookies by starting them and giving them more responsibility. This night is the sixth time since the beginning of March that Rayan Rupert stayed on the court for more than 18 minutes, resulting in an encouraging 3/4 3-pointer for 9 points, 4 rebounds and a decisive pass. He is also the only player on his team to finish the game with a positive +/-.
– The great series continues. And new! Since the injury to Alperen Sengun and the “small-ball” adjustment made by Ime Udoka, Houston has continued to win. Even tonight despite the absence of Jabari Smith Jr, the Rockets achieved their goals. It is Golden State, currently 10th in the West, which finds itself under even more pressure while waiting for the Texans' next match. It will be on the OKC floor this Wednesday.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
