Jalen Green Invokes Inner CJ Stroud Before Torching Blazers, Deepening Warriors’ Woes

Leading the Houston Rockets to a 110-92 victory, Jalen Green has recently been on a roll. As he grabbed the spotlight at Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers, the 22-year-old scored 27 points, propelling his team to their ninth consecutive win. Seizing a streak that has remained unseen since 2019, Green was spotted celebrating, and not just with cheers, but with a light-hearted replication of a fellow sportsperson. 

After winning 9 of his team’s last 10 games, Jalen Green was caught imitating the touchdown dance of fellow Texan player, CJ Stroud. The NFL rookie quarterback for the Houston Texans, Stroud has garnered widespread acclaim for his exceptional performance this season.

 At 22 years old, he passed for 4,108 yards, becoming the youngest ever to attain a touchdown-interception ratio of 23-5. Leading his team to a first-round playoff win, Stroud and Green have had similar trajectories in their respective fields. While Jalen Green opted for Stroud’s celebratory moves, he has been making waves of his own in the NBA, with an impressive scoring average of 27.8 points in March. 

Making 9 out of 26 shots against the Portland crew, the Rockets shooting guard explained his team’s current dynamics, emphasizing, “I was watching the Warriors last night. We’re making a push, and we’re executing so we’ve just got to stay the course.” 

Jalen Green assists his team in elevating NBA ranks 

Emerging as a serious contender in the playoff race, Jalen and his squad are now seated just a half game behind the Golden State Warriors. While the Warriors were previously poised for a higher seed in the playoffs, the team is currently fighting tooth and nail to maintain their standings. With only 12 regular-season games remaining, the surge in the Rockets’ success has now made every matchup a crucial battle for both camps. 

Applauding Jalen Green for his role in this streak, coach Ime Udoka explained, “He was kind of forcing it a little bit early and looked a little anxious, but he grinded it out and played the right way.”

“It was huge for him to come out in the second half like that”, the Rockets coach added. As the Houston players outscored their opponents with 33-20 in the third quarter, Jalen Green helped his team seize an 80-71 lead into the next. With Portland facing its seventh consecutive loss, the Blazers saw Dalano Banton take the lead, marking 28 points as Scoot Henderson scored another 15 points. 

After Monday’s game, the Rockets(36-35) earned their 11th spot in the Western Finder, right below the No.10 ranking Golden State Warriors (36-34). With a 114-110 loss on Sunday against the Timberwolves, the road ahead seems a bit challenging for Stephen Curry’s team at present. 

Hoping for the final spot, Jalen Green is now focused on the half game difference to his team’s 10th seed. Will the Rockets defy all odds to secure their place in the playoffs? Guess only time can tell! 

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