HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Jalen Green has missed two straight games Western Conference Player of the Week awards after once again leading the Houston Rockets to a 3-0 record over the past seven days.
The video above is ABC13 Houston’s 24/7 streaming channel.
But those wins, which included Green’s two 40-point games, extended a conference-best eight-game winning streak and, more importantly, kept the playoff-hungry ball club just one game behind the Golden State Warriors, 10th, who hold the final. Place for the Play-In tournament, starting Monday.
Houston (35-35) will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, which could end with the Rockets winning a half-game win over the Dubs and the longest winning streak in five seasons. Not bad for a team that has been drafting in the lottery since the departure of James Harden.
The Rockets almost parted ways with Green
Green’s rise as the Rocket’s go-to player during this run required the sacrifice of another emerging young talent, Alperen Sengun, who was injured on March 10 and has been missing since.
With Sengun out of commission, Houston was able to enthusiastically play to the former No. 2 pick’s advantage.
A question of coexistence arises. For example, Green hadn’t scored 40 points before this stretch without Sengun in the lineup.
So, imagine the shock that Houston wouldn’t have had Green leading the team down the stretch. On Monday, Athletic NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Rockets dealt Green and several first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for veteran swingman Mikal Bridges at the trade deadline.
Brooklyn declined the proposed trade, Charania said.
Neither ABC13 Sports nor ESPN have independently confirmed Charania’s report. Still, Green and Sengun will enter the final year of their rookie contracts after this season, so the Rockets need to come to terms on whether one or both would get a contract extension.
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