Despite sitting a trio of accomplished veterans in Eric Gordon, Christian Wood, and Dennis Schroder, the young Houston Rockets pushed San Antonio to the brink in Monday’s 123-120 loss (box score). KJ Martin’s last-second attempt at a tying 3-pointer somehow spun out.
All-Star guard Dejounte Murray led the Spurs (31-44), who are competing for a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, with a game-high 33 points and 11 assists. Yet, even with incentive and Murray playing at the top of his game, the rebuilding Rockets (20-56) had a chance.
The biggest reason was rookie guard Jalen Green, who continues to excel as the 2021-22 regular season winds down. With 30 points, the No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA draft scored 30+ for the third time in his young career, and he hit 6-of-15 from 3-point range (40.0%). Just 20 years old, Green added 4 assists and 4 rebounds in his 40 minutes.
