Jalen Green delivered a breakout performance in Game 2, scoring 38 points and hitting eight three-pointers to lead the Houston Rockets past the Golden State Warriors 109-94 on Wednesday night.
The first-round Western Conference playoff series is now tied 1-1 heading into Saturday’s Game 3 in San Francisco.
Green, who struggled with seven points on 3-of-15 shooting in his playoff debut, responded with one of the most efficient nights of his career, going 13-of-25 from the field and 8-of-18 from deep.
The Rockets never trailed in the game and built a 60-46 halftime lead behind Green’s hot hand and strong interior work from Alperen Sengun, who added 17 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists.
Golden State’s comeback bid was hampered early when Jimmy Butler exited with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall late in the first quarter.
The Warriors were further limited by Brandin Podziemski, who was held scoreless in 14 minutes due to a stomach ailment after contributing 14 points in Game 1.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 20 points and nine assists and became the 11th player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career postseason points, finishing with 4,017.
Houston extended its lead to 20 early in the fourth quarter before a 9-0 Warriors run, sparked by two Quinten Post triples, cut the deficit to 11.
That momentum was short-lived after Jalen Green was called for a flagrant foul on Draymond Green, followed by an 8-0 Houston response that included a step-back three from the third-year guard.
Tari Eason came off the bench to contribute 14 points and six rebounds, while Dillon Brooks added 16 points for a Houston team that shot 45.3 percent overall and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Draymond Green and Tari Eason both received technical fouls during a tense fourth quarter that featured several heated exchanges and physical play.
Houston out-rebounded Golden State 47-33 and held the visitors to 41.3 percent shooting, with the Warriors going 11-of-18 from the free throw line.
The Rockets, seeded second in the Western Conference, bounced back from a poor shooting night in Game 1 by hitting 15 three-pointers on 40 attempts.
Game 3 will take place Saturday night at Chase Center, where the Warriors are 29-12 this season.
