Jalen Green scored 12 of his 25 points in the third quarter as the Houston Rockets held off a late surge to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 100-96 on Tuesday night. Houston extended its winning streak to four games and solidified its position as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Green shot 11-of-24 from the field and contributed seven rebounds, while Alperen Sengun recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson added 11 points each to help the Rockets secure the hard-fought road victory.
Houston built a commanding 96-80 lead following Green’s steal and fast-break layup with 5:41 remaining. However, the Hawks stormed back with a 16-2 run, cutting the deficit to two points in the final minute.
De’Andre Hunter missed a crucial three-pointer with 12 seconds left, and the ball bounced out of bounds, giving possession back to Houston. On the next play, Sengun sealed the win with a dunk off an inbound pass.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 21 points and nine assists, but the Hawks struggled from deep, shooting 11-of-47 (23.4%) from beyond the arc. Hunter finished with 16 points, while Vit Krejcí added 13 in the loss.
The Rockets have now won 10 of their last 12 games, positioning themselves as serious contenders in the West. Atlanta, on the other hand, has dropped six straight games and has not won since its overtime victory against Boston on January 18.
