Jalen Green’s monster 3-0 week for Houston earns him NBA award as Rockets fight for play-in tourney

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Rockets were on a winning streak, securing victories in four out of five games until Alperen Sengun suffered an injury on March 10.

Many assumed that with Sengun sidelined, the Rockets’ hopes of making it to the play-in tournament and potentially the NBA playoffs were dashed. However, Jalen Green sees things differently, as evidenced by his recent accolade as the Western Conference Player of the Week.

The 22-year-old guard showcased stellar performances, averaging 26 points per game in wins against San Antonio, Washington, and Cleveland over the past week. His contributions helped Houston extend their winning streak to five games and improve to a 7-1 record in the previous eight games.

Green, who hails from California and was named to the 2022 All-NBA Rookie First Team, is the second Rockets player to receive the weekly award this season, following Sengun’s recognition earlier. This marks Houston’s first Player of the Week honor since 2019.

Coincidentally, another player named Jalen, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Brunson led his team to a 3-0 record during the same period.

Despite the individual accolades, head coach Ime Udoka’s team remains focused on their goal of reaching the playoffs through the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. With 15 games left in the regular season, the Rockets are currently in 11th place, trailing the 10th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers by 3.5 games. Additionally, they are 2.5 games behind the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the Southwest Division.

Houston, which missed the playoffs in the past three seasons, faces upcoming challenges with away games against Washington and a three-game homestand against Chicago, Utah, and Portland. Their regular season concludes with a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 14.