On January 8th, Beijing time, the Rockets defeated the Wizards to secure their second consecutive victory. Jalen Green went on a scoring spree in the second quarter of the game, setting a new career-high with six three-pointers in the third quarter alone. He led a scoring surge that put the game out of reach, and by the fourth quarter, Green only played for three minutes before the game entered garbage time. This marks the 15th time this season that Green has been the top scorer for the Rockets.
Green started the game with only two points in the first quarter. However, after making a layup and a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the second quarter, he found his rhythm and hit two three-pointers at the beginning of the third quarter.
Jalen Green completed a 30-foot super long three-pointer with 7 minutes and 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter, earning him praise from the media as a master of catch-and-shoot threes.
The official Twitter account of the Rockets also praised Green's performance: "One three-pointer, two three-pointers, three three-pointers... In just 12 minutes of the third quarter, Green went 8-for-13 from the field and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc, scoring 22 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and recording 1 steal. By the end of the third quarter, Jalen Green had already accumulated 29 points and 7 three-pointers."
The media outlet Biased Rockets wrote: "In the third quarter of this game, Jalen Green was like Stephen Curry."
In the third quarter, Shen Jing scored 14 points while Green added 22, bringing their totals to 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists for Shen Jing, and 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists for Green. This is the kind of performance expected from the Rockets' dynamic duo.
Initially, it seemed that both players would be done for the night after three quarters, but VanVleet's second unit failed to defend, allowing the Wizards to close the gap. Green and Shen Jing were brought back into the game, but Green's extended rest seemed to have cooled off his shooting touch. Shen Jing drew a foul under the basket against Sar, and after a steal and fast break, the lead was extended back to over 20 points, prompting coach Udoka to call off the game.
In this game, Green scored 22 points in the third quarter and finished with 29 points, including seven three-pointers. The six three-pointers in the third quarter set a new career-high. This is the 15th time this season that he has been the top scorer for the Rockets, leading the team.
Entering 2025, Green has scored 22, 27, 33, and 29 points in four games, totaling 111 points for an average of 27.8 points per game.
Written by Yan Xiaobai: Rockets Watch