ROCKETS DEFEAT WIZARDS
Green scores 22 of his 29 in 3rd quarter as Rockets down Wizards
Jan 7, 2025, 11:14 pm
Rockets defeat the Wizards, 135-112. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Jalen Green scored 22 of his 29 points in the third quarter and the Houston Rockets routed the short-handed Washington Wizards 135-112 on Tuesday night.
Alperen Sengun added 26 points and 10 rebounds, Amen Thompson scored 20 points and grabbed 15 boards, and Fred VanVleet had 19 points as the Rockets improved to 6-1 on the road against Eastern Conference opponents.
Houston overcame a 20-point first quarter — the fewest points allowed by last-place Washington in a period this season.
Corey Kispert scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 18 in the Wizards' third straight defeat.
Washington leading scorer Jordan Poole missed his second straight game with a bruised left hip, and fellow starter Kyle Kuzma exited at halftime with a bruised right calf.
Takeaways
Rockets: Thompson continues to blossom in his second season, posting another impressive double-double after scoring a season-high 23 points and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds in Sunday's 119-115 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wizards: A marginally improved 4-10 stretch will be hard to sustain if Poole and Kuzma miss more time. Kuzma has played in only half of Washington's 34 games this season.
Key moment
Houston put the game away with a 21-6 third-quarter run to extend its lead to 95-74. Green scored 11 points and sank three 3-pointers during that stretch,
Key stat
Washington's 18 turnovers led to 35 Houston points, the most a Wizards opponent has scored directly from giveaways this season.
Up Next
Washington visits Philadelphia Wednesday. The Rockets head to Memphis Thursday.
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Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead home run, and Josh Hader stranded a runner on third in the ninth inning to preserve the Houston Astros' 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Chandler Simpson reached on catcher's interference to begin the ninth against Hader. Simpson advanced on a ground out before stealing third. Hader then got Taylor Wells to pop up a bunt and Isaac Paredes to pop out near third for his 12th save in 12 opportunities.
Meyers went 2 for 3 and hit his third home run on the second pitch from reliever Manuel Rodriguez (0-2) to put the Astros ahead in the seventh.
Meyers walked, stole his eighth base and scored on a double by Cam Smith as part of a three-run first inning against Rays starter Ryan Pepiot. Victor Caratini opened the scoring with his third home run — a two-out solo shot — and Chas McCormick capped it with an RBI single.
Houston's Colton Gordon — a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, making his second career start — allowed a single to Yandy Díaz leading off the first then retired 12 straight until Brandon Lowe singled in the fifth. Danny Jansen followed with his third homer to make it 3-2. Díaz and José Caballero had back-to-back doubles in the sixth to tie it.
Gordon allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Bryan King (2-0) got four outs for the win.
Pepiot allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Key moment
King allowed a walk and a single to begin the seventh with a one-run lead but came back to strike out both Taylor Walls and pinch-hitter Jonathan Aranda swinging. Bryan Abreu entered and got Díaz on a grounder for the third out.
Key stat
The Rays have gone 10-8 on the road but just 11-18 at George M. Steinbrenner Field — their temporary home.
Up next
Rays RHP Zack Littell (3-5 4.31) starts Tuesday's middle game. The Astros have not announced a starter.