Rockets drill Wizards for 6th win in 7 games

Jalen Green scored a season-high 37 points as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 135-119 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards on Thursday for their sixth win in seven games.

Green shot 15 for 23 from the floor, drilled five 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds. He was the focal point of a balanced offensive attack that yielded six scorers in double figures, including rookie Amen Thompson (20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals) and Fred VanVleet, who paired 27 points with nine assists.

Dillon Brooks and Jock Landale added 13 points apiece for the Rockets (31-35), who have won four consecutive games. Houston shot a robust 59.3 percent overall and made 12 of 28 3-pointers.

The Wizards (11-55) fashioned a competitive third quarter but weren't able to slice their 24-point deficit early in the third quarter to single digits.

Jordan Poole led Washington with 25 points -- including 13 in the third -- off the bench, while Deni Avdija added 24 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 23 points while making 8 of 10 shots. Washington shot 49.5 percent from the floor.

The Wizards were stubborn early, opening 6 of 9 from the floor en route to a 17-15 lead. But with Thompson scoring 12 points in the first quarter, the Rockets carved out a seven-point advantage before the Wizards closed to within 33-31 entering the second period.

There were eight lead changes and seven ties in the first quarter, but Houston seized control in the second. Jabari Smith Jr (16 points) stroked a 3-pointer after VanVleet scored a three-point play and a trey of his own as part of a 13-4 run that enabled the Rockets to take a 51-39 lead.

The Wizards took a timeout but failed to stem the tide, with the Rockets ultimately extending their advantage to 22 points with a flurry of paint points that illustrated the Wizards' leaky defense.

Houston turned a 42-point second quarter into a 75-56 halftime cushion, recording 22 points in the paint in the period. The Rockets shot 76.2 percent in the second quarter, with Green, Landale, Smith and VanVleet combining for 30 points on 11-for-11 shooting.