Harden once promised Rockets fans that he wouldn't leave, but he broke his promise.
Jalen Green said before the game that he would win 10 straight games to continue the play-offs, and he did.
The Rockets now don't have Alperen Sengun, who averages 21.1 points per game, Whitmore, who averages 12.1 points per game, and no defensive stalwart Ethan. The Rockets' first-round pick this year is in the hands of the Thunder, and they want to try to win the game and will not let it go.
The Rockets got off to a perfect start in this game, but were later influenced by the referees. The Rockets made just two free throws in the first half, while the Thunder made 15 free throws. Many Rockets fans bluntly said that the referee came with a mission, and it was too difficult to play 8 with 5. Jalen Green is really tough, he withstood the pressure to lead the Rockets to victory on the road and continue to chase the Warriors.
Green averaged 28.5 points and 5 assists per game in March, shooting 50% from the field, 43% from three-point range, and 81% from the free-throw line.
Only two teams have won 10 in a row this season, the other being Udoka's old club, the Greens. Rockets owner Fertitta, who came to the away road with the team, was very satisfied and came to the tunnel to congratulate the players and coaches. Fertitta does enjoy watching football, and he also says that he is a fan of the Rockets.
Although they have won 10 in a row, the Rockets are still 11th in the West, and they still need to continue to work hard. The next game is on the road, and the remnants of the Rockets will have to win 11 in a row, and their opponent is the Jazz.
The Jazz previously traded the 2024 first-round pick to the Thunder and are a top-10 protection. Therefore, the Jazz, the twelfth in the West, should not have the motivation to fight to the death with the Rockets. And the Rockets are eager to win every game that follows. Ethan shouted to the Warriors on social media after the game: Come and touch us!
Many fans support Jalen Green as the core of the team, I wonder what Sengun feels like when he sees the current performance of the Rockets?
Amen, who is expected to be named in the rookie squad this season, is the beneficiary of Sengun's injury.
Martin Jr. and Sengun worked together, but he was abandoned by Udoka. Not only did Martin Jr. not defend three-pointers, but he and Sengun would affect the space of the Rockets. Amen's passing and defense are much better than Martin Jr., but he also doesn't shoot, and he and Sengun are on the court at the same time and will make Green uncomfortable.
With Sengun's injury, Udoka used Amen as an inside lineman, and the effect was quite good. In the past wave of Rockets' winning streak, Amen played 20+10 data three times. Amen became the first rookie player in Rockets history to score 25 points and 15 rebounds in a single game since Yao Ming. Amen's average of 9.1 points per game is now higher than Osar's 8.8. Amen also averaged 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 53.1% from the field.
Amen is ranked fourth on the NBA's latest rookie list, along with Wemban, Chet and Miller. If Amen continues to play like this, he will have a good chance of being named to the rookie first team.
Playing only 38 games and averaging just 17.8 minutes per game, Whitmore has no hope of being selected as a rookie. Many Rockets fans wondered when Whitmore would return, and Udoka revealed the good news.
Udoka said in an interview before the game that Whitmore was close to making a comeback.
Whitmore is expected to be out for three weeks with a sprained external ligament in his knee, and Udoka revealed that he is young and recovers quickly, which is really good news. The Rockets' bench lacks consistent scoring points, and Whitmore's comeback could fix that.