Rockets 135-112 Wizards (January 7, 2025) Game Summary

WASHINGTON — — Jalen Green scored 22 of his 29 points in the third quarter and the Houston Rockets routed the shorthanded 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 any stretch this season.

Corey Kispert scored 23 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 18 in the Wizards’ third straight loss.

Washington’s leading scorer Jordan Poole missed his second straight game with a bruised left hip, and co-starter Kyle Kuzma left at halftime with a bruised right calf.

Takeaways

Rockets: Thompson continues to flourish 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 difficult to sustain if Poole and Kuzma miss more time. Kuzma has only played in half of Washington’s 34 games this season.

Key moment

Houston put the game away with a 21-6 run in the third quarter to extend its lead to 95-74. Green scored 11 points and sank three 3-pointers during that stretch,

Key state

Washington’s 18 turnovers led to 35 Houston points, the most a Wizards opponent has scored off of giveaways this season.

Next

Washington visits Philadelphia on Wednesday. The Rockets travel to Memphis on Thursday.

——

AP NBA: