HOUSTON — — Jalen Green had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-103 on Saturday for their fifth straight victory.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 points, Amen Thompson had 18 and Fred VanVleet finished with 13 points and 16 assists for the Rockets, who made 15 3-pointers and outscored Cleveland 56-46 in the paint.
Green added four assists while hitting 4 of 9 from 3.
“We started out pretty strong and we were moving the ball,” Green said. “Once they fell, it built confidence. We were just doing what we were doing, we started hitting shots and we did our thing.
Houston led 70-54 at halftime and entered the fourth quarter with a 25-point lead.
“Early in the game, you could see we were outworked and outworked,” Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said. “For us, defense sets the tone and when we don’t do that, we don’t give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Rockets have won seven of their last eight games, finding themselves three games behind the Golden State Warriors for the final Western Conference play-in spot.
“The common theme is just playing well,” VanVleet said. “Everything else will take care of itself. If we play good basketball and play together, I think we’ll have a chance down the stretch. It’s there for us, but we just have to continue to stay on track.
Caris LeVert scored 21 points for Cleveland. Georges Niang had 14 and Donovan Mitchell added 13.
“I think the change affected them and forced them to play a lot more 1-on-1,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “We did a good job with all the bodies we had. I loved our defensive effort early on, and especially in the third quarter, to get that start and really put it away early there. It was a great victory for us.
Mitchell was playing his second game after missing seven games due to a bruised left knee. Mitchell appeared to have a bloody nose in the second half and sat much of the fourth quarter. The Cavs were without Max Strus (sprained right knee) and Evan Mobley (sprained left ankle).
“I mean, no disrespect to some guys, but I’m not really getting blown away by people right now, and it’s disappointing and it’s affecting me,” Mitchell said.
“I want to be there, but it’s clear as day, even to me. I can’t be wrong. We will get through this and be ready when the time comes.
Mitchell said he will likely rest the next game to give his knee more time to heal.
“Donovan gives what he has,” Bickerstaff said. “He does a great job of sharing the ball. Obviously he missed some time and is looking to come back. I don’t worry about Donovan’s play because I know when he’s on the floor he gives us a chance to win.
Cavs veteran center Tristan Thompson has returned following a 25-game suspension from the NBA for violating the league’s anti-drug policy by testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Thompson had five points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.
Cleveland hasn’t won consecutive games since Feb. 25-27, going 4-6 since then. The Cavs fell one game behind Milwaukee for second place in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s a marathon,” Niang said. “We’re looking to play our best basketball heading into the playoffs. Obviously we have some injuries and some things we need to sort out. As they say at the Boston Marathon, we are at Heartbreak Hill. We’re climbing and clawing, and that’s what we’re going to do to continue to improve and get better.
FOLLOWING
Cavaliers: At Indiana Monday night.
Rockets: Visit Washington Tuesday night.
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