The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 109-94 Wednesday night, evening their first-round Western Conference playoff series at one game apiece.
Jalen Green led the Rockets with 38 points, making eight shots from beyond the arc. His performance was a turnaround from his seven-point effort in Game 1, a 95-85 loss for Houston.
Alperen Sengun contributed significantly for the Rockets, finishing with 17 points and collecting 16 rebounds. Tari Eason added 14 points off the bench.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka commented on the play of his young core, stating, “When they’re both rolling, we’re hard to beat.”
The Warriors played short-handed for much of the contest after Jimmy Butler left in the first quarter due to a pelvis contusion following a hard fall. Reports indicate he was acquired from Miami in a February trade. Butler had scored 25 points in the series opener.
The loss in Game 1 established the initial framework for the Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors timeline, with Game 2 resetting the series equilibrium.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points for Golden State and became the 11th player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career playoff points, ending the night with 4,017.
Draymond Green set a franchise record for the Warriors, appearing in his 159th playoff game, surpassing Klay Thompson. Green previously played in Game 1, recording four points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block.
The game featured multiple fouls and technicals, including Jalen Green receiving a flagrant foul and Draymond Green and Tari Eason drawing technical fouls.
With the series tied, the teams look ahead to the remaining games on the Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets timeline, with Game 3 scheduled for Saturday night at Golden State.
Looking ahead to future matchups like Game 5, teams consult the full playoff standings. More NBA coverage is available on the AP NBA hub.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr commented on his team's performance, saying, “We just didn’t have enough tonight.”
