Green and Smith Jr. Save Rockets From Sloppy Start

Jalen Green had just five points in the first half as he and the Houston Rockets withstood the wrong side of a dominating performance against the Philadelphia 76ers. Houston had no energy and couldn't make shots, while the 76ers had their best shooting performance of the season, led by the surging Quentin Grimes. Houston told a different story in the second half, as Green and the Rockets mounted the largest comeback in franchise history.

Green scored 30 points after taking over in the second half. He was more effective on offense at every level, driving into the paint with speed and hitting tough layups while also connecting on more of his 3-point attempts.

However, as necessary as Green's scoring was, he expressed more energy and excitement when his teammates made big shots and plays.

Green played a large role in getting his teammates involved, passing out a career-high 13 assists to lead the team. His passing led to shots from all over the court, and teammates like Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Dillon Brooks made the opposing defenses pay.

Smith Jr. had a standout game of his own. He matched Green with 30 points from the bench as he knocked down five of his seven three pointers, many of which came during critical times in the fourth quarter.

Smith Jr. showed his value as a stretch big, setting solid screens before fading out for 3-pointers and mid-range shots. He had one of his most efficient games of the season, and he hit some of his most impactful shots of the season. There may not be a shot as impactful as his retry 3-pointer on the left wing to cut the lead to three with just moments remaining in the game.

As the shot went in, Green pumped both fists in celebration before motioning to his teammate to play press coverage on Philadelphia's inbounds pass. Green rewarded Smith Jr. for his big-time shot with big-time defense during the full-court press. Green stole the ball on a pass from an unsuspecting Grimes, leading to a timeout and later free throws for Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. came through once again in the clutch at the free-throw line, intentionally missing his second attempt and opening an opportunity for Sengun to nail the putback that sent the game to overtime.

Sengun came through the rest of the way for the Rockets, starting the extra period with an and-one shot that put Houston up three.

The Rockets held control throughout overtime and even survived a few more clutch buckets from Grimes who finished with a career-high 46 points.

Surviving games like this is a huge development for the Rockets. The 76ers were severely understaffed, so a victory like this should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the team showed it can bounce back even after lackluster and sloppy starts to games.

Against better teams, Houston won't be able to afford falling to such an early deficit. But the Rockets can move forward with a confidence boost after turning the game around and having some of their top players taking over when it counted.

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