Rockets' Young Core Shines in Preseason Finale

Houston's stars gave a final sneak peek of what's to come in the regular season.

Jan 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) celebrate with center Alperen Sengun (28) after a play during the second quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets wrapped up their preseason slate with a 129-107 win at home against the San Antonio Spurs. The 22-point win was a great way to end as the regular season comes next on Oct. 26.

Like any other preseason game, Houston's starters were on limited minutes. However, that didn't stop the team's stars from shining. The Rockets' young core stole the show last night, with efficient outings from Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson.

Houston was everywhere in the paint, grabbing 55 boards. Sengun had 10 of them to go along with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting. What was most impressive is that Sengun only took one three-pointer, with all of his made shots coming inside the arc.

Green was the MVP of the preseason finale, putting up 30 points in 27 minutes. A lot of questions have surrounded his inefficiencies in the scoring department, but the star wing did it on 8-of-16 shooting and an incredible 7-of-13 from deep.

Thompson was the third star for the Rockets last night. The Swiss Army Knife got in every statistical department, putting up 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Thompson hasn't been known to be an elite scorer, but did so last night while shooting 7-of-12 from the field.

Sengun and Green exceeded expectations given the limited minutes they received, but are somewhat expected to perform at this level. Thompson looked legit last night, showing himself everywhere in just 20 minutes. This performance could warrant a minutes increase in the regular season, and perhaps a starting spot if things change down the road.

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