Green and Sengun lead Rockets to 118-105 win over the OKC Thunder

POSTED: November 27, 2022 -- 7:42 a.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX (Toyota Center) -- The Houston Rockets have won 2 consecutive games for the first time in the 2022-23 season. The Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-105 Saturday night thanks to balanced scoring and solid defense.

Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun led the way in the victory. Green scored 6 points and Sengun scored 5 during a 14-4 start for the Rockets which helped set a tone for the night. OKC erased the Rockets' 10 point lead and led 22-20 late in the opening quarter before Eric Gordon swished a three-pointer to end the quarter.

Houston led 23-22 at the end of the first period. The Rockets never trailed the rest of the ball game.

Houston (5-14) outscored OKC (8-12) 42 to 22 in the second quarter. Green scored 9 points in the quarter and also handed out 5 assists. Rookie Jabari Smith Jr was next with 8 points. Kevin Porter Jr followed with 7 points.

The Rockets led by as much as 27 points (87-60) in the third period. Green continued his torrid shooting in the third quarter sinking his first three 3-pointers. Green scored 13 in the third while KPJ chipped in 7.

Houston has won consecutive games for the first time this season and is 4-5 over its past nine games while Oklahoma City has dropped four of its past five after winning three of its previous four.

The Rockets won despite having 25 turnovers. Houston is actually 4-2 when having 20+ turnovers this season. The Rockets had 25 assists tonight and has recorded at least 24 in seven of the past 10 games after doing so once the first nine games of the season.

Green finished the game with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting and a career-high 9 assists. Green has recorded at least 4 assists in each of the past eight games and is averaging 6.0 apg over that span, up from 2.6 apg the first 78 games of his career.

"People be sleeping on my passing," Green said in the locker room after the game.

Sengun scored 21 points, snared a career-high 19 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, blocked 2 shots, and picked up 3 steals.

Al-P is the first Rocket to have posted those numbers in a single game since Hakeem Olajuwon (46/19/8/3/3) vs. Minnesota on Dec. 23, 1996. Sengun is also the youngest player in NBA history with those stats at 20 years and 124 days of age (Olajuwon was the oldest at 33 years and 62 days).

Jabari Smith Jr. had 15 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double this season.

Six Rockets scored in double figures Saturday night. In addition to Green, Sengun, and Smith, Kevin Porter Jr scored 16 points while Eric Gordon scored 15 and Garrison Mathews added 11 points off the bench.

After the game, Porter said, "I've been paying more attention on when to score; what plays to run at several moments of the game; and, when to slow the game down and keep it our playing style."

NEXT:

The Rockets' next game is Monday night, November 28, on the road against the Denver Nuggets. Monday's game is the first of 2 in Denver and also begins a 4-game road trip. Tip is set for 8 p.m. Central Time.

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