3 STRAIGHT WINS!
Jabari Smith Jr. shines as Rockets extend winning streak to three
Mar 10, 2025, 10:13 pm
Rockets defeat the Magic, 97-84. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Jabari Smith Jr. had 20 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, helping the Houston Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 97-84 on Monday night for their third consecutive victory.
Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Houston, and Steven Adams finished with 11 points and 17 boards.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 25 points. Franz Wagner had 15 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Magic closed to 65-58 on Wagner's layup with 5:04 left in the third quarter. But Jeff Green and Dillon Brooks made consecutive 3-pointers to make it 71-58 with 2:47 to go.
Banchero made two free throws, but the Rockets scored the next four points. Aaron Holiday's 3-pointer made it 75-60 with 26 seconds to go.
Brooks finished with 17 points.
Takeaways
Magic: Orlando was unable to build on its win over Milwaukee, which snapped a five-game skid. It dropped 10-22 since Jan. 1.
Rockets: Houston used a balanced scoring attack to help make up for starters Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet sitting out with ankle injuries.
Key moment
Brooks and Sengun each made a 3 to help the Rockets open a 95-77 lead with 3:01 left.
Key stat
The Rockets made 16 3-pointers, compared to just eight by Orlando.
Up next
Houston hosts Phoenix on Wednesday night, and Orlando visits New Orleans on Thursday night.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.