Jalen Green scores 38 points, providing the impetus in Houston’s Game 2 victory over Golden State.
HOUSTON — The essence of coach Ime Udoka’s message to his team, to the world even, heading into Game 2 of the Rockets’ first-round series against Golden State was two simple words: Make. Shots.
A big “duh?” Not necessarily. Within Udoka’s advice was his resolve that Houston did not need to make wholesale changes, revamp very much or panic in any way after dropping Game 1 Sunday night at home to the lower-seeded Warriors.
If the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference couldn’t stay the course after an initial, disappointing toe dip in playoff waters — the Rockets’ average age is just 24.4 and the franchise hasn’t reach the postseason since 2020 (with a 95% roster overhaul) — it likely would have lost more than one game. It might have lost confidence, swagger and too abruptly its way.
Instead, the Rockets kept things simple. They made more shots — 39 up from 33 — in a more helpful array, attempting 11 more 3-pointers and making nine of them. That did it – their meager points total from the opener, 85, turned robust in a wire-to-wire 109-94 victory Wednesday at Toyota Center.
Good thing too, because teams that dropped the first two home games in an NBA best-of-seven series have prevailed just five times in 35 tries. Heading to San Francisco down 2-0 would have been a green light for the red lights, as in the appropriate time to panic.
Here are five takeaways from Houston’s improved performance — with an assist from Jimmy Butler’s aching pelvis — that evened this series and set up Saturday’s Game 3 at Chase Center (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
1. No more first-game jitters
No matter how much players prepare, regardless of the advice they seek, that first NBA playoff game can be overwhelming. Rockets guard Jalen Green went on the whole nerve-wracking ride in Game 1.
“That first game, the lights were bright, the crowd was here,” Green said. “The court looked huge. I couldn’t really settle in. My legs were a little shaky. But that’s part of it. I went through it and feel like I did a good job of answering back.”
Only the rim looked huge to Green in Game 2. After shooting 3-of-15 in the opener, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 Draft hit 13 of his 25, including eight of 18 3-pointers. He finished with 38 points, joining only Houston legends Hakeem Olajuwon (who did it four times) and James Harden (once) in reaching 35 points in a playoff game before turning 24.
Center Alperen Sengun had a better playoff debut Sunday but improved on it Wednesday with 17 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Drafted 14 spots after Green, the 6-foot-11 big man is still just 22.
“When they’re both going, we’re hard to beat,” Udoka said. “With them, it’s experiences, getting them under their belt for the first time and just kind of going through it. … Once you get out of the way that first game, the playoffs are here, do what you’ve been doing your whole career.”
2. Butler’s fall marks Warriors’ loss
Short of losing Stephen Curry, the Warriors can least afford to be without Butler, their February addition who fits perfectly into the resuscitated team’s system. But that’s exactly what happened late in the first quarter, after Houston’s Amen Thompson seemingly got pushed into Butler and undercut him while Butler was in the air.
Thompson went down face first and Butler went down even harder on his tailbone. He managed to shoot his free throws following the foul but limped off to the locker room soon after and was done for the night (pelvic contusion).
Golden State didn’t unravel, but it did miss the veteran wing. Remember, those guys were 23-7 when Butler played over the season’s two months or so, 25-27 before he arrived or when he sat. Butler scored 25 points in Game 1, just three in this one.
His absence allowed the Rockets to load up defensively on Curry more than usual. And Warriors coach Steve Kerr missed that floor leader when Curry sat, especially with second-unit guys.
Jimmy Butler’s availability looms large as the Rockets-Warriors series shifts to Chase Center for Game 3.
3. Rethinking Golden State’s rotation
Butler wasn’t the only player on his team to exit early. Brandin Podziemski, suffering from stomach trouble (possibly food poisoning), went back to the locker room in the first half. He returned in the second half but played barely two minutes, missing a couple more shots on a scoreless night.
Butler reportedly was headed for an MRI exam Thursday. In Butler’s absence, Kerr turned to Jonathan Kuminga (who had fallen out of the rotation in recent weeks). But Game 3 isn’t till Saturday, so many of the parts are moving.
“If Jimmy’s out, we have to rethink … everything,” Kerr said. “Like rotations, who starts and the best combinations, and all that stuff. It’s too early for me to even talk about [a Butler layoff].”
Kerr had to go deep into his bench, with seven reserves logging 10-plus minutes even before raising the white flag.
Said Kerr: “This is the playoffs. It’s an incredibly physical sport. Stuff happens. People get injured. It’s all part of it. There’s no time to lament anything. You can feel bad for your player, but you have to move on to what’s next. Hopefully Jimmy will be able to play, but if not, we’ve got to go through our options and put together a plan.”
4. Series goes from physical to chippy
Here’s the black-and-blue count from Game 2: 35 fouls, six technical fouls (three per team), one flagrant foul and one towel thrown.
The flagrant was assessed late in the game, when Jalen Green pushed his left arm between Buddy Hield and Draymond Green, clipping the Warriors’ center in the face. The home crowd didn’t think so — Draymond’s reaction, slowed down in replay, looked like thespian work — but their vote didn’t count.
At 91-79 with 7:16 left, the Warriors still had time. But their Draymond Green missed one of the two free throws and, on the subsequent possession, missed a 3-pointer. Houston ran off the next eight points.
The towel throw was still to come. It was part of a kerfuffle triggered by Rockets guard Fred VanVleet jawing with Draymond Green as the teams went into a timeout. Players and coaches crowded onto the floor for some words and shoves, until Tari Eason tossed a towel at some Golden State personnel to turn up the heat.
Nothing came of it, though. But expect more bodies crashing to the court and some legit dislike as the series continues.
“Yeah, I don’t mind it,” Udoka said of the orneriness. “It’s kind of who we are. Minus the towel throwing.”
5. A brief and shining shootout
Three of the four scoring totals so far have been 95 or less. Every other offensive move has to slice through a thicket of arms and hands. But for a glorious span of 58 seconds near the end of the second quarter, it rained points.
In rapid succession, Sengun, Hield, VanVleet, Curry, Jalen Green and Curry again splashed 3-pointers. The lead stayed where it was at 12 points and the pace was unsustainable — nine points per team per minute, times 48 minutes, do the math — but it was a brief respite from the thrashing and rasslin’.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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