(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Houston Rockets hit the ground running and dominated the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
The Lakers were undermanned without Anthony Davis, but even with him, they haven’t been impressive this season, so we should take the blowout win with a grain of salt.
Nonetheless, Ime Udoka’s team looked the best that it has all season, and Jalen Green’s play has had a lot to do with their success.
Apparently, Udoka poked the bear by reminding Green that Lakers guard Austin Reaves was a part of Team USA for the FIBA Basketball World Cup, while Green was only a part of the Select Team (via Jackson Gatlin).
Ime Udoka says he reminded Jalen Green that he was on the USA Select Team and Austin Reaves was on the main USA Team going into tonight as motivation for the matchup.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) November 9, 2023
That clearly worked, as Green dominated with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 5 three-pointers on 73% shooting from the floor and 83% from beyond the arc.
Reaves, on the other hand, continued his unimpressive start to the season with just 7 points, 1 board, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 0 three-pointers in 26 minutes.
Green has always had the potential to be one of the best scorers in the league, but he’s been inefficient and inconsistent.
However, a lot of that has had to do with the Rockets’ isolation-heavy offense and a lack of fundamentals from the Stephen Silas era, so there’s a chance Green can turn things around under Udoka’s tutelage.
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