Jalen Green makes franchise history in pivotal Game 2 win over Warriors

From the opening tip, Green was in attack mode—blending deep shooting, aggressive drives and confident pull-ups to dismantle the Warriors’ defense. 

He poured in 15 points during a pivotal third quarter, extinguishing a brief Golden State rally and putting the game out of reach. Houston never trailed, building a lead that ballooned to 20 points as it controlled both tempo and intensity.

Green’s explosion was a dramatic turnaround from Game 1, where he struggled with just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0-of-4 from three.

"That first game, the lights were bright, the crowd was here," Green said post-game. "The court looked huge. I couldn't really settle in. My legs were a little shaky but that's part of it. I went through it and feel like I did a good job of answering back."

The Warriors, already navigating a tightly contested series, suffered a major setback when Jimmy Butler exited in the first quarter with a pelvic contusion. 

The six-time All-Star is set to undergo an MRI on Thursday, leaving his status for Game 3 uncertain. Without him, Golden State lacked cohesion and struggled to find rhythm.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 20 points, but the supporting cast came up short, and the team faltered at the free-throw line, converting just 11-of-18.

As the series heads to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday, Houston will look to build on Green’s breakout performance—and with the momentum firmly in their corner, the Rockets may be ahead of schedule in their rise.