Rockets Overcome Early Deficit to Beat Wizards in Blowout

The Houston Rockets beat the Washington Wizards 135-112. Jalen Green led the way with 29 points.

Jan 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) drives to the basket as Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) defends in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun led the Rockets to a 135-112 win. Sengun had 26 points and the starters combined for 11 steals.

Houston's offense started very slow. The team shot 3-for-12 before the first timeout of the game, which was called by Washington. The Rockets' shooting continued to look poor out of the break and the team could not find a way to stop the Wizards from scoring. Washington went on a 9-0 run as Houston missed six straight shots. Shooting was the issue, making only 29.2% of shots, compared to Washington's 47.6%.

To start the second quarter, Amen Thompson led the Rockets on a 10-0 run, cutting the lead down to just one. Washington's biggest lead was 12. Jeff Green started the second quarter and produced a quick six points before subbing out. Fred VanVleet got a big steal and layup late in the period just before Jalen Green made his first three of the game with 1 second left to give Houston the 57-55 lead.

Corey Kispert had a good half, scoring 16 points on 5-for-6 shooting and 4-for-5 from three. Dillon Brooks had eight points on 2-for-2 from three and 3-for-4 from the field, while Thompson and VanVleet led the Rockets with 12 a piece through two quarters. Houston also got its shooting up to 44.9% from the field.

Sengun and Green had 36 combined points in the third quarter alone. Houston outscored Washington 40-24 in the period to gain a 97-79 lead. Green continued to stay hot for Houston, as he hit six threes in those 12 minutes while tying his career-high 22 points in a quarter.

The fourth quarter was no different than the third. Houston stayed dominant and took care of business controlling the lead, as Green ended the game with 29 points.

The Rockets will face the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CST.

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