Despite a significant effort to Kevin Durant, who finished with 30 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, Phoenix saw its nine-game home winning streak end. Devin Booker scored 24 points for the Suns but suffered a sprained right ankle late in the game.
The Suns also had to deal with injuries to key players, as Jusuf Nurkic left the game with a sprained neck in the second quarter, while Bradley Beal returned from a hamstring injury only to be forced out in the third quarter after a confrontation with Green.
Houston shot 43.8 percent from the field and knocked down 16 of its 42 attempts from behind the arc. They took control early, building a 38-19 lead by the end of the first quarter, with Green and VanVleet leading the way.
Despite a fourth-quarter comeback effort by the Suns, highlighted by a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to one point, the Rockets responded with a decisive 14-4 run to secure the victory.
Green’s stellar performance, combined with contributions from VanVleet and Sengun, propelled the Rockets to just their third win in their last 12 games.
(Contributions from Reuters)
