With both the second -year wing Amen Thompson and veteran pointskeeper Fred Vanvleet on the side of ankle damage, Houston Rockets was pressed into unusual rotations against Orlando Magic on Monday and desperately to reveal primary ball handling options.
Watch Jalen Green helped fill that void in a 97-84 home victory that extended Rocket’s winning line to three matches. Houston hosts Phoenix Suns in the third race in a six-game home on Wednesday evening.
Green recorded 15 points and a game high eight assists and published at least eight assists for the third time in nine matches after producing no more than six assists in any game earlier this season.
Aaron Holiday and the Alperen Sengun added four assists to help compensate the absence of Thompson and Vanvleet. Thompson has adopted a majority of ball handling details after the Vanvleet was lost against an ankle destruction on February 1 against Brooklyn Nets.
While Thompson is expected to miss 10-14 days after his injury on Saturday against New Orleans, Vanvleet should be closer to a return to action.
Meanwhile, Rockets welcomed a 20-point performance from the front Jabari Smith Jr. Against The Magic-Hans first since December 23 in Charlotte. Smith drilled five 3 points in his return to a provisional starting lineup, and his fifth 20-point game this season offered a glimpse of his development order.
“The versatility continues to help us play (6-foot-10 Smith) with big lineups or reduce with him too,” said rocket coach Ime Udoka. “Every time a team goes zone, you like Jabari in the middle or, obviously, discovers on the perimeter.
“Not always settled (is the key). When they put a few minor defenders on him, he got downhill and used his size. They competed or laid him, he came to the basket. Around an aggressive game. Even when he lacked shots he chased and took the right.”
Suns will finish their four-game Road Trip in Houston after falling 120-118 to Memphis on Monday. That loss dropped Suns to 4-7 since the All-Star break with two of these losses that came in overtime in addition to two-point setbacks to Grizzlies. Phoenix moved to three matches over .500 after winning five of six matches at the end of January. The suns are 6-14 then.
The ability to run on both ends in close play continues to avoid Suns. Phoenix missed four out of five 3 points in the last 61 seconds against Memphis.
“It’s a handful of games that just come to possession, a game,” said Suns coach Mike Budenholzer. “And there are games that happen before it also leads to it.
“We just have to keep trying to make minor mistakes and force our opponents to make more mistakes and reduce the margin of error.”
The game showed chippiness between the teams, a welcome development for a Suns squad that has sometimes seemed flawed after failing to match high expectations for the season.
“That’s what we need,” Budenholzer said. “We have to stay together. We must have that fight and get ready for our next.”
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