HOUSTON — — Jalen Green scored 27 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 110-92 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
It was the Rockets’ ninth straight victory, their longest winning streak since 2019.
At 36-35, Houston is just a half-game behind Golden State for the final spot in the NBA Play-In tournament.
“Of course I look at it,” Green said of the rankings. “I was watching the Warriors last night. We’re putting in the effort and we’re executing so we just have to stay the course.
Green entered Monday tied for fourth in the NBA in March with 27.8 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting. Against Portland, he made 9 of 26 shots, including 4 of 12 from 3.
“He kind of forced things a little bit early and looked a little anxious, but he pulled it off and played the right way,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It was huge for him to come out like that in the second half.”
Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was out, serving a one-game suspension for his Saturday night fight with Jazz guard Kris Dunn. In his place, Jock Landale scored a season-high 17 points and added nine rebounds.
“His energy really got us back into the game,” Udoka said. “His energy has been huge lately, and we really needed it tonight with a few guys struggling early.”
Houston outscored Portland 33-20 in the third quarter, taking an 80-71 lead into the fourth after trailing 51-47 at halftime.
Portland suffered its seventh straight loss and fell to 4-13 since the All-Star break.
Dalano Banton led the Blazers with 28 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench, while Scoot Henderson added 15 points.
“We have to maintain our defensive intensity,” Henderson said. “It’s going to give us a chance every night – defensive intensity, moving the ball and just making the game easier for ourselves and not trying to play one-on-one the whole game because we can’t win like that.”
In Saturday night’s loss to Denver, Portland became the second team to start five rookies since NBA scoring began tracking starters in the 1971-72 season. The Blazers started the same five rookies Monday night.
Portland briefly held a nine-point lead in the first quarter, but entered the second quarter with a score of 28-25.
“I thought we had a really good first half and had some good moments in that third quarter, but the game kind of turned around,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They picked up their defensive pressure again, and we just didn’t respond well to it. Give them credit. They raised the tone when they needed to, defensively, against a group of young people.
The Blazers were missing Deandre Ayton (left elbow tendinitis), Anfernee Simons (left knee tendinitis), Malcolm Brogdon (right elbow tendinitis) and Jerami Grant (right hamstring strain).
FOLLOWING
Trail Blazers: At Atlanta Wednesday night.
Rockets: Visit Oklahoma City Wednesday night.
——
APNBA:
