PHOENIX (AP) – Jalen Green tallied 34 points, with Fred VanVleet contributing 24, as the Houston Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns 118-109 on Saturday night, splitting a two-game series.
“This is the standard we aim to achieve every night,” said Green, who nailed six 3-pointers.
Phoenix’s Devin Booker, an All-Star, exited late in the game due to a sprained right ankle after stepping on his teammate Royce O’Neale’s foot. Another Suns guard, Bradley Beal, was also ejected after returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out for five games.
Suns coach Frank Vogel confirmed that Booker’s X-rays came back negative.
Following his ejection in the third quarter, Beal could not return to the game. He was involved in a brief altercation with Green before receiving two quick technical fouls, leading to his ejection. Green also received a technical.
Kevin Durant topped the scoring for the Suns with 30 points, while Booker recorded 24, and O’Neale added 20. Beal finished the game with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting.
“We fought hard and made a comeback,” said Vogel. “We made the game difficult, similar to what other teams do to us sometimes, but it wasn’t enough.”
Green shot 12 of 23 from the field, including 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. Alperen Sengun chipped in with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Rockets held the lead for most of the game, but the Suns narrowed the gap to 99-98 in the fourth quarter on Josh Okogie’s layup. VanVleet responded with a crucial 3-pointer to thwart the comeback.
“It was encouraging to see that fighting spirit and physicality from the start,” commented Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “It was a complete turnaround from the last game when we had a slow start. Tonight, we came out strong against them.”
On Thursday, the Suns had defeated the Rockets 110-105 in a game that also had some intense moments, notably a minor altercation between Booker and Houston’s Cam Whitmore, resulting in technical fouls for both players.
“It’s a valuable lesson,” Vogel noted. “These mini-series within the 82-game season. Beat a team in one game, and they’ll have a psychological edge and return even more determined.”
The Rockets surged to a 38-19 lead after the first quarter and maintained a 54-44 advantage at halftime. Green netted 17 points in the opening half, with VanVleet and Sengun, who was ejected in the previous game following an altercation with officials, contributing 13 points each before the break.
“Credit to Houston – they came out with urgency and secured the win,” Durant acknowledged.
The Suns committed 11 turnovers in the first half and shot just 38.6% from the field. It was a challenging night for the Suns on the injury front, as starting center Jusuf Nurkic exited the game with a neck sprain, while O’Neale also suffered an ankle sprain in the incident involving Booker.
Former Suns star Amare Stoudemire was honored with induction into the Suns’ Ring of Honor during halftime. Stoudemire, a five-time All-Star, played eight seasons with the Suns from 2002-10.
Up next
Rockets: Host San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Suns: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday night.