The Houston Rockets continue the final multigame homestand of their 2021-22 season when they host Sacramento on Friday night at Toyota Center. The second-to-last game of the homestand features a rematch of Wednesday’s thriller, when the Kings edged the Rockets in a showdown between rookie guards Davion Mitchell and Jalen Green.
Now that the 2022 NBA playoffs off the table for both teams, it should again be a fascinating and unpredictable matchup. With an eye on developing prospects — and likely on draft positioning, as well — each franchise is resting established veterans such as De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Christian Wood, Eric Gordon and Dennis Schroder. All indications are those patterns will continue into Friday and beyond.
As the season winds down, the Rockets will likely go as far as Green can take them. In his last four outings, the No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA draft has averaged 27.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 34.3 minutes per game on 47.6% shooting and 46.0% from 3-point range.
Green drilled a combined 23 3-pointers in those games, and it lifted the young Rockets to a productive 2-2 stretch as a team — with both losses not decided until the final buzzer. In that stretch, Green has made history by becoming the first NBA rookie to connect on at least five 3-pointers in four consecutive games, and his 50 made treys in March are the most by any rookie in a single month in league history.
Jalen Green stats in March (17 games):
20.8 PPG
3.6 RPG
3.4 APG | 1.7 TOV48.0% FG
39.7% 3P (7.4 3PA)
59.1% TS3 30-point games (Leads all rookies)
11 20-point games (Leads all rookies)
4 games with 5 3PM
8 games with 4 3PMRookie of the month pic.twitter.com/OaHcQCZulZ
— ً (@arxanii) March 31, 2022
