Rockets, Jalen Green Bounce Back in Game 2 Win

Going to San Francisco on Saturday for Game 3 of their first round series against the Golden State Warriors, it was imperative that the Houston Rockets split Games 1 and 2 in Houston after losing Game 1 by a 95-85 score, a game in which their offense was lethargic.  

After Sunday’s loss in which they shot just 39.1%, the Rockets did get their coveted split with Wednesday’s 109-94 win. 

Jalen Green, who scored a measly 7 points in Game 1 on 3-for-15 shooting in the series opener, redeemed himself in Game 2 with 38 points, making 13-for-25 from the field and 8 of his 18 attempts from beyond the arc. Green also had 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Also contributing in a major way was Alperen Sengun. Sengun, a 2025 All-Star, shot just 6-for-15 but like Green made 4 of his 5 free-throw attempts. The young, talented big man grabbed 16 rebounds and had 7 assists with 2 steals. Dillon Brooks shot 6-for-12 for 16 points, and Tari Eason played an adequate game off the bench, in 24 minutes going 6-for-9 for 14 points and 6 rebounds. Amen Thompson was 4-for-7 for 11 points. 

The Rockets shot 45.3% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range (15-for-40) and made 16 of their 20 free-throw attempts. They also continued to dominate the series on the boards, with a 47-33 rebounding advantage following a Game 1 where they finished with a 52-36 advantage.

Stephen Curry made 6 of his 15 shots for 20 points, hitting on 4-of-9 from deep. He tallied 9 assists and 5 rebounds, but in a game where Warrior star Jimmy Butler left in the first quarter with a pelvic contusion after a hard fall on a rebound attempt, the Warriors needed more from Curry. Moses Moody scored 12 points on 3-for-6 from downtown, and Quinten Post (12 points, 4-for-8 from three), Pat Spencer (11 points, 5-for-7 from the field), and Jonathan Kuminga (11 points, 4-for-12) were the other Warriors to finish in double figures. Post was particularly impressive in his ability to stretch the floor. 

The Warriors shot 41.3% from the field, made 17 of their 43 field-goal attempts, but only made 11 of their 18 free-throw attempts. 

The Rockets also won the turnover battle, committing 10 to the Warriors’ 15. 

You could tell from the get-go that the Rockets’ energy was on a different level, their hustle and physical nature apparent from the start of the game. As they usually do, they dug in defensively, and Green played a much better game. The offense also does a great job of getting Sengun the ball in the midrange so that he has pass or shoot options, opening up the floor for baseline cuts.

Butler’s availability going forward will be huge, which is stating the obvious. The onus if he is unable to go is on the likes of Curry, Moody, and Brandon Podziemski.

Celtics, Cavaliers Get 2-0 Leads 

The Boston Celtics, sans Jayson Tatum, defeated the Orlando Magic 109-100 to take a 2-0 series lead. Jaylen Brown, Tatum’s wingman and running mate, played an exceptional game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists (12-for-19, 5-for-7, 7-for-8). Kristaps Porzingis in 30 minutes was just 5-for-14 but hit 10-of-14 free throw attempts for 20 points while also managing 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Al Horford was just 4-for-10 but grabbed 10 rebounds, Derrick White shot 6-for-14 for 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Jrue Holiday (4-for-9) scored 11 points with 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Payton Pritchard, who earlier in the evening was named the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year, scored 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting. 

As a group, the Celtics shot 45% and made 12 of their 37 attempts from deep, and made 25-of-33 free-throws. They also had 46 rebounds to the Magic’s 34. 

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists (12-for-25, 6-for-11 from the line), with Franz Wagner going 10-for-20 for 25 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Wendell Carter Jr. was 6-for-8 for 16 points and 8 rebounds. Anthony Black in 23 minutes off the bench scored 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. 

The Magic made 46.7% of their shots but missed on 22 attempts from 3-point range, making only 7 out of 29. 

Through two games, it seems that the Celtics just have too much balance and shooting. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers staved off a late Miami Heat run to get their series to 2-0 with a 121-112 win as the series shifts to Miami for Games 3 and 4. 

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 30 points (6 assists, 6 rebounds) on 10-for-21 from the field while shooting a lights out 7-for-10 from 3-point range. Darius Garland scored 21 points with 9 assists (6-for-14) and Evan Mobley put up 20 points with 6 rebounds (7-for-10) while making 3-of-6 shots from beyond. In another complementary effort, Max Strus was 4-for-8 from downtown for 14 points and 6 assists. Off the bench, De’Andre Hunter was 4-for-10 for 12 points (23 minutes). The Cavs hit on 22 of their 45 attempts from 3-point range. 

The Heat actually outshot the Cavaliers (51.9% to 47.6%) but made six fewer 3-pointers in the same amount of attempts. The Heat also had a plus-4 rebounding advantage (38-34). Tyler Herro was tops for the visitors, putting in 33 points (6 rebounds, 5 assists) on 14-for-24 shooting (4-for-11 from downtown). Davion Mitchell scored 18 points with 6 assists on 7-for-9 shooting while make two out of four 3-point attempts, and Haywood Highsmith put in quality minutes off the bench with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting (5-for-6 from deep) in 27 minutes. Bam Adebayo was only 3-for-9 for 11 points, though his 14 rebounds were a game-high and his 9 assists were tied with Garland for a game-high. 

Going back to Miami for Game 3, it would have been a major boost for the Heat to steal Game 2 and get the split in Cleveland. However, the Cavaliers not unlike the Celtics have a complete lineup where any one can have a strong night.