Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher lead Rockets past Pistons

Even against a starting lineup of Cade Cunningham and four NBA players, Houston’s three first-round rookies were too much to handle.

The Detroit Pistons entered Tuesday’s game at the Las Vegas Summer League with a starting lineup comprised of No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and four players with NBA experience.

But led by Jalen Green, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 first round, the Rockets might have even more young talent. Green, fellow rookie guard Josh Christopher and big man Alperen Sengun stole the show on Tuesday, leading Houston to a 111-91 victory (box score). Led by those three 19-year-olds, the summer Rockets improved to 2-0 in Las Vegas. Cunningham and the Pistons fell to 0-2.

Green led all scorers with an efficient 25 points on 11 shots (54.5% FG), and he adjusted quickly after Detroit frequently doubled and blitzed him to start the game. He also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Sengun tallied 21 points (57.1% FG), 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, while Christopher scored 15 points (50% FG) and dished out a game-high 7 assists.

Second-year forward KJ Martin also made key contributions to Houston’s win with 16 points (50% FG), 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Meanwhile, Cunningham led Detroit with 20 points (44.4% FG) in defeat.

See below for a compilation of highlights and postgame reaction from Tuesday’s game. Houston returns to summer league action on Thursday against No. 4 draft pick Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Central in an NBA TV broadcast.

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