Houston Rockets Down Warriors in Pivotal Game 2

On Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets bounced back in a major way, blowing out the Golden State Warriors, 109-94.

After scoring just seven points on 3-for-15 shooting in Game 1, Jalen Green exploded in Game 2, scoring a game-high 38 points in showing off his explosive offensive versatility.

He sliced to the rim for high-flying finishes, saw suave shots in the mid-range and banged home eight 3-pointers — a franchise postseason record — in the all-around scoring performance. Additionally, the former No. 2 pick added six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Houston threw a haymaker out the gate, outscoring Golden State 28-18 with early scoring surges from Green, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. The lone negative in the first quarter being Thompson picking up his third foul early in the game.

After Thompson tripped into him on a high-rising rebound attempt in the first quarter, star Jimmy Butler fell hard on his tailbone, and was promptly ruled out for the game with a pelvis contusion.

With a 12-0 run in the second, the Rockets lead would blossom as high as 20. Though the Warriors would grind back to cut the halftime deficit to 14.

The second half was more of the same, with Alperen Sengun continuing to help the offense along while Green bombed shots and the team played stingy defense.

After holding Golden State to just 95 points in Game 1, they continued their defensive product in Game 2, holding Steph Curry to just 20 points on 15 shots, with no other Warriors scoring more than 12.

With the series now tied 1-1, the teams head to The Bay for Game 3. The Rockets avoided the 0-2 deficit, and now have momentum heading to San Francisco.