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Following the Houston Rockets’ 120-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night, fans lauded 22-year-old Jalen Green for his electrifying performance, scoring 42 points to tie his career high.
In addition to Green’s 42 points, he contributed three rebounds and four assists, shooting an efficient 13-of-18 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Dillon Brooks had a quieter outing, finishing with nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
On the other side, Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 29 points, four assists and four steals, shooting 11-of-24 from the field in the loss. Rookie Zach Edey struggled offensively, recording just two points and seven rebounds, with only one on the offensive glass.
With the win, the Rockets improved to 26-12 on the season, while Grizzlies dropped to 25-15, snapping their two-game losing streak to the Rockets this season.
Fans flooded social media with praise for Green’s standout performance on Monday night:
α΅α΄΅α΄Έα΄Έ @BiasedHouston
Genuinely might be the best game of Jalen Green’s career. <a href=”https://t.co/gmCnE1mDKq”>pic.twitter.com/gmCnE1mDKq</a>
Legion Hoops @LegionHoops
JALEN MF GREEN TONIGHT:<br><br>42 POINTS<br>13/18 FG<br>5/6 3P<br><br>π₯π₯π₯ (via <a href=”https://twitter.com/realapp_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@realapp_</a>) <a href=”https://t.co/A1IybKaBXI”>pic.twitter.com/A1IybKaBXI</a>
BIGMEM12 @BIGMEM12
Jalen Green got my respect man <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fairs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Fairs</a> <a href=”https://t.co/40yjcFKdDs”>pic.twitter.com/40yjcFKdDs</a>
Don Dougan @don_dougan
Players know. Coaches know.<br><br>I’m telling y’all. Stop giving any of these national “podcast analysts” any more validity than they deserve.<br><br>Simply no way they watch full games.<br><br>It’s been obvious for a while now, Jalen Green has been becoming a winning player. <a href=”https://t.co/UCwlC7wCcu”>pic.twitter.com/UCwlC7wCcu</a>
NBA Memes @NBAMemes
JALEN GREEN IS HAVING THAT NIGHT AGAIN π₯ <a href=”https://t.co/vtCAqVMvMy”>pic.twitter.com/vtCAqVMvMy</a>
α΅α΄΅α΄Έα΄Έ @BiasedHouston
Jalen Green and Amen Thompson tonight <a href=”https://t.co/zMMyYZbe5O”>pic.twitter.com/zMMyYZbe5O</a>
Underdog NBA @Underdog__NBA
Jalen Green in win over Grizzlies:<br><br>42 PTS (ties career-high)<br>13-18 FG<br>5-6 3PT<br><br>Rockets are now 7-0 this season when he goes for 30+.<a href=”https://t.co/72TcPizN1q”>pic.twitter.com/72TcPizN1q</a>
jeff @DedicationHoops
jalen green with the best game of his career, amen masterclass down the stretch and we’re 3-0 against the 3 seed. wow
Morant kicked off the scoring for both teams, knocking down a 26-foot three-pointer just 15 seconds into the game, followed by a Desmond Bane three-pointer of his own as the Grizzlies grabbed a quick 6-0 lead.
On the other end, Green scored 11 points from the field in the first quarter to help keep the Rockets in the game, though they trailed 30-23 after the opening period.
Houston Rockets @HoustonRockets
FVV on the theft π<br><br>JG on the SLAM π₯ <a href=”https://t.co/UEpz22cGWU”>pic.twitter.com/UEpz22cGWU</a>
The Rockets erupted in the second quarter, outscoring Memphis 31-24 thanks to Cam Whitmore, who recorded 10 points in the period to get Houston back into the game. Despite the Rockets’ surge, the Grizzlies held a narrow 60-57 lead heading into halftime.
Houston Rockets @HoustonRockets
wham bam CAM WHITMORE π¨ <a href=”https://t.co/YuRY3AjL7O”>pic.twitter.com/YuRY3AjL7O</a>
The third quarter proved to be a tightly contested battle as the two teams traded baskets back and forth, led by Memphis’ Bane, who posted 14 points from the field.
Tensions flared between Brooks and his former team in the third quarter, when Bane pushed Brooks as Jaren Jackson Jr. shot a free throw. The altercation sparked a series of chippy exchanges, ultimately resulting in a technical foul on Bane.
Houston Rockets @HoustonRockets
πππ<a href=”https://twitter.com/JalenGreen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@JalenGreen</a> <a href=”https://t.co/8zbpOrGwyF”>pic.twitter.com/8zbpOrGwyF</a>
Houston Rockets @HoustonRockets
JALEN. FREAKIN. GREEN. <a href=”https://t.co/8n86DiulgR”>pic.twitter.com/8n86DiulgR</a>
Memphis entered the fourth quarter with a 92-87 lead, but Houston kept the pressure on, outscoring the Grizzlies in the final frame. A layup by Green with 33.1 seconds left gave Houston a 116-115 lead, ultimately securing the victory for the Rockets.
On Wednesday, the Rockets will face the Denver Nuggets on the road.
