Tag: Jeff Green

Takeaways: Damian Lillard’s Bucks avoid upset, but Rockets show their mettle

Damian Lillard’s Bucks had enough offense to survive an upset bid by Fred VanVleet and the visiting Rockets, who had their five-game winning streak snapped.

In a high-profile road game versus an NBA title contender, the improved Houston Rockets made Milwaukee work. They could not, however, get over the final hump in Sunday’s 128-119 loss (box score) to the Bucks (19-7), who were led by their duo of frequent MVP candidates, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Lillard led the Bucks with a game-high 39 points and 11 assists, shooting 11-of-19 from the field (57.9%) and 5-of-8 from 3-point range (62.5%). Antetokounmpo added 26 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, shooting 10-of-22 (45.5%). Milwaukee outrebounded the Rockets by a decisive 56-39 margin, with several generating extra shot chances when Houston badly needed a stop.

With the loss, Houston (13-10) had its five-game winning streak snapped. The final margin was worsened by a series of controversial calls and ejections (Dillon Brooks and Ime Udoka) in the game’s final 40 seconds, which ballooned a margin that had been as slim as one possession with under six minutes left to play.

Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 22 points and 6 assists on 8-of-16 shooting and 4-of-8 from 3-point range (50%). Backcourt mate Jalen Green had an efficient 16 points and a team-high 7 assists, making 6-of-11 shots (54.5%) and 2-of-4 from behind the arc (50%).

Other standout players for the Rockets included:

  • Alperen Sengun: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists; 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%)
  • Dillon Brooks: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals; 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 16 points, 5 rebounds; 7-of-13 shooting (53.8%)
  • Tari Eason: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals; 5-of-8 shooting (62.5%), 1-of-2 on 3-pointers (50%)
  • Jeff Green: 16 points in 17 minutes; 4-of-5 shooting (80%), 7-of-8 on free throws (87.5%)

Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews after Sunday’s game, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for the Rockets, as a challenging road back-to-back concludes, is Monday’s matchup at Cleveland (14-12). Tipoff is at 6 p.m. Central.

In Memphis return, Dillon Brooks cooks Grizzlies as Rockets win fifth straight

In his first return to Memphis as a visitor, Dillon Brooks (team-high 26 points) hit a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute and led Houston (13-9) to a fifth straight win.

In his first return to Memphis since playing six seasons for the Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 26 points for the Rockets — including 24 in the second half — as Houston stormed back from an early 17-point deficit to win Friday’s game, 103-96 (box score).

Brooks hit 10-of-20 shots from the field (50.0%) and 3-of-9 from 3-point range (33.3%), including a dagger in the game’s final minute. With the win, Houston (13-9) has now won five straight, overall.

That was enough to withstand a spirited effort by the Grizzlies (6-18), who were led by 28 points and 13 rebounds from Desmond Bane. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points and 4 blocked shots.

Beyond Brooks, other Houston players who scored in double figures versus the Grizzlies included:

  • Fred VanVleet: 16 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals; 5-of-12 shooting (41.7%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals; 4-of-12 shooting (33.3%), 7-of-7 on free throws
  • Jalen Green: 14 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds; 4-of-12 shooting (33.3%), 3-of-7 on 3-pointers (42.9%)
  • Jeff Green: 12 points, 4 rebounds in 19 minutes; 3-of-9 shooting (33.3%), 6-of-7 on free throws (85.7%)
  • Tari Eason: 11 points, 8 rebounds 2 steals in 23 minutes; 4-of-8 shooting (50.0%), 1-of-1 on 3-pointers

The Rockets were without a pair of reserves in Amen Thompson and Jae’Sean Tate, with each sitting out due to an illness.

Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews after Friday’s game, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for the Rockets, as a three-game road trip continues, is Sunday’s tough matchup at Milwaukee (17-7). Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m. Central.

As 2023-24 season passes quarter pole, surging Rockets see clear progress

“They are playing through the right guys and playing winning basketball,” Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. tells @BigSargeSportz of the Rockets.

With over a quarter of the 2023-24 NBA season complete, the Houston Rockets find themselves in an excellent situation.

They are 12-9. Extrapolated over a full 82-game schedule, that is 47 games, which typically translates to a playoff berth or at least a play-in tournament spot.

At the same point last season, they were 5-16 and on their way to a third straight finish either last or tied for last in the Western Conference.

Last season, those lonely wins often come after an extended losing streak. But under new head coach Ime Udoka, Houston has learned to overcome adversity after dropping consecutive games.

During the first 20 games of a tumultuous 2022-23 season, when many of the younger players were still learning to navigate an NBA schedule under then-coach Stephen Silas, Houston’s longest winning streak was two games. With Udoka, they won a season-best six straight in November and are on a four-game streak.

“I like where we are at,” Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said earlier this week. “I know that there is a lot that we can improve on, and that is what I am excited about most. I feel like we are not as near as what we can be. We are still figuring each other out, I am just happy that we can sit right here with a winning record and still learning each other. So, I am happy about that.”

What has kept the Rockets in a lot of games this season is their improved defense. Entering Wednesday, Houston ranked first in points per game allowed (105.6) while giving up the lowest 3-point percentage (31.7%) and second-lowest field goal percentage (43.7%) among all 30 NBA teams.

“We are feisty,” veteran forward Jeff Green said. “We are going to continue to play hard and continue to play as a team. There are no selfish guys on this team, and we all want to win.”

Other teams are noticing the new-look Rockets, who supplemented their young core with veterans Green, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Their offseason transformation has stopped the chatter around the NBA that the Rockets are easy to defeat.

“They are playing hard, and they have a good bench unit,” Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. told Rockets Wire during Wednesday’s team shootaround. “They play good defense, and they play faster. I think a lot of the guys who need to get shots are getting them. They are playing through the right guys and playing winning basketball.”

One major issue that has plagued Houston is its road inefficiency. It is 1-8 on the road, though the one win was an impressive one: last Friday versus defending NBA champion Denver. Once the Rockets can transfer their home magic (11-1) to the road, Houston could find a formula for playoff contention.

Although he has struggled at times, third-year guard Jalen Green has seen improvement in himself and his other young teammates, who have elevated their games in the opening weeks.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Green told reporters this week. “Obviously, we could be better. There is always room for improvement. There are little things we can get better at. Overall, I think everybody is getting better and getting to know each other, which helps each other know what to do day in and day out.”

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Nuggets present Houston’s Jeff Green with 2023 NBA championship ring

At Friday’s game, the Nuggets honored Jeff Green — who signed with Houston last offseason — by presenting the veteran with his 2023 NBA championship ring.

With the team citing personal reasons for his absence, veteran Rockets forward Jeff Green wasn’t available Wednesday during Houston’s home victory over Oklahoma City.

He returned Friday in Denver, though, and received quite a reward. After playing a rotation role for the 2022-23 NBA champions, the Nuggets presented Green — who signed with the Rockets as a free agent last offseason — with his championship ring.

The ceremony was supposed to happen when the Rockets visited Denver nine days ago, but logistics issues delayed it until the second meeting. For Green, it was clearly worth the wait.

“I waited 17 years to this point. To wait one more week to get it, I’m not stressing at all,” Green said after the unexpected delay, per Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette. “This gives me an opportunity to have my family here, as well, to enjoy the moment.”

Videos of the ceremony and pregame activity are available below.

Now 37 years old, Green is averaging 5.9 points (54.0% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers) and 2.2 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game this season.

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Ex-Nugget Jeff Green lifts Rockets by calling out Denver’s late plays

“He was calling out every play there at the end, so I’m sure they weren’t very happy with him,” Fred VanVleet says of Jeff Green during Houston’s win over Denver.

Houston’s sixth consecutive win, which came Sunday night at home versus the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, was perhaps its most impressive of the 2023-24 season to date.

One big reason was veteran forward Jeff Green, who scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Rockets pulled away. As it turns out, he also made key contributions on defense.

Over an extended stretch in the fourth quarter, Denver missed seven consecutive shots with its starting unit on the floor.

“It was clutch,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Until they got some late layups and 3s. … I thought we defended excellent in that fourth quarter. To stretch it to 10 in that quarter, defended at a high level.”

One reason appears to be Green, who played valuable minutes with the Nuggets on last season’s title team and apparently brought some of that insider knowledge to his new teammates.

Here’s Udoka, via The Associated Press:

All week, he had a ton of advice and experience, and he was out there being the quarterback on defense, calling out their sets and what they were getting into. He had that familiarity with the team, and obviously that was helpful.

Veteran star Fred VanVleet was even more direct regarding that angle, as captured by Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets:

He was calling out every play there at the end, so I’m sure they weren’t very happy with him.

But he was calling out all the plays, he knew what was coming, and he helped us a lot with the game plan and scouting. He knows guys’ tendencies.

Offensively, he got to the (free throw) line, hit 3s, being on the glass. … He’s huge for us, coming off the bench.

The next challenge for VanVleet and Green’s new-look Rockets (6-3) is taking their home success inside Toyota Center to the road, where they are 0-2 on the season. Their next opportunity comes in Los Angeles on Friday night versus the Clippers in a game that starts a three-game West Coast road trip. Tipoff is at 9:30 p.m. Central.

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Rockets react to sixth straight win as Jeff Green stuns Denver late

Fred VanVleet, Alperen Sengun, and Jeff Green all had big nights as Houston rallied past defending NBA champion Denver to secure its sixth straight win.

In the conclusion of the seven-game homestand, the longest of the season, the Rockets took perhaps their biggest step yet in Sunday’s 107-104 victory (box score) over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. It’s the sixth straight win for Houston (6-3) and only the second loss of the 2023-24 regular season for Denver (8-2).

Nikola Jokic, a multi-time MVP, led the visitors with 36 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists. But after taking a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter, Denver was outscored by Houston in each remaining quarter. Veteran forward Jeff Green scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.

“It gives us another feather in our cap,” head coach Ime Udoka said in his postgame press conference. “It gives us experience with late-game execution and getting the shots we want and defending. I’m happy with how we finished. They did hit some tough shots, but that’s expected from a championship-caliber team.”

Standout players for the Rockets included:

  • Fred VanVleet: 26 points, 4 assists in 41 minutes; 9-of-21 shooting (42.9%), 3-of-9 on 3-pointers (33.3%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 23 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists in 35 minutes; 9-of-18 shooting (50.0%), 5-of-6 on free throws (83.3%)
  • Jeff Green: 15 points, 4 rebounds in 26 minutes; 5-of-7 shooting (71.4%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%)

Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews from Sunday night, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for Houston, as a brief road trip begins, is Friday’s late game in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Tipoff is at 9:30 p.m. Central.

Upon joining Rockets, Jeff Green shares critical role for NBA veterans

“At some point, a coach’s voice can only go so far, and that is when vets come into play,” Jeff Green says of the potential role for Houston’s newly acquired veteran players. #Rockets

During Monday’s media day to kick off 2023-24 Rockets training camp, forward Jeff Green met with reporters for the first time since signing with Houston as a free agent in July.

Green, who was part of the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets, offered candid commentary at Toyota Center regarding the role that accomplished veteran players can have — both for contenders like the Nuggets, and for a rebuilding team, such as the Rockets.

“There’s been talk about how this notion of the NBA wanting to go younger, and really take out the vets,” Green said. “I think it’s great when you have guys who are experienced who have been through the ringer. To have them in the locker room is great. The experience itself, teaching the young guys what it takes to be a true professional. The everyday grind.

“At some point, a coach’s voice can only go so far, and that is when vets come into play,” Green continued. “DeAndre Jordan, Ish Smith, myself, our voices went a long way (in Denver). I do think its importance for vets to be in the locker room.”

Here’s a roundup of what we heard from Green at Monday’s media day from Toyota Center. Training camp officially begins Tuesday at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“We have some young guys who are tired of losing,” Green said. “They’re tired of how things have been. They want to change the headlines about who they are. They want to win games. So I see the hunger of wanting to be better. They’re hungry to win, and win now.”

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 8

Today’s installment focuses on the 16 players who wore No. 8 over the years as of September 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history of interest tied to them.

In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, their unretired jersey numbers pack some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on the 16 players who wore No. 8 over the years as of September 2023.

Complete Houston Rockets player ratings list for NBA 2K24 video game

Among #Rockets players, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun are leading the way in NBA 2K24’s initial player rankings for the 2023-24 season.

The looming release of the NBA 2K24 video game (Friday, Sept. 8) also involves learning NBA 2K’s ratings for all players across the league. To determine virtual skills, players are rated 1-to-100 across many categories, including a frequently disputed overall rating.

Courtesy of HoopsHype, we also have an idea how each player stacks up compared to his NBA peers. For example, the highest-rated players on the 2023-24 Rockets roster — veteran guard Fred VanVleet, third-year guard Jalen Green and third-year center Alperen Sengun — all have an overall rating of 83, per 2Kratings.com.

Based on HoopsHype’s data from last season, that would be tied for 57th overall while matching players such as Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Mikal Bridges, Jonas Valanciunas, Jalen Brunson, John Collins, Desmond Bane and Nikola Vucevic.

Houston’s fourth-highest-rated player is Kevin Porter Jr., who has an 81 rating. That would be tied for 85th based on HoopsHype’s player data from the 2022-23 game cycle.

From best to worst, scroll on for the initial list of overall ratings involving  players on the 2023-24 Rockets. Additional ratings in other categories, such as 3-point shooting and dunking, are available at 2Kratings.com. Depending on results this season, these roster ratings could be adjusted in future NBA 2K digital updates.

Ranking the 21 players who have played for the most (at least 10!) NBA teams

Ish Smith has now suited up for nearly half the teams in the league. Who else comes close?

There is something special about a journeyman who has experience playing for various different franchises during their NBA careers.

As of the time of publishing this article, there are 21 players who played at least one game for at least 10 different teams around the league. While many are former undrafted free agents who scrapped and clawed their way around to stay pros, others were former top picks.

Joe Smith (No. 1 overall pick in 1995), Jim Jackson (No. 4 pick in 1992), Jeff Green (No. 5 pick in 2007) and D.J. Augustin (No. 9 pick in 2008) were lottery picks before bouncing around from team to team.

One reason for this is that you have to be pretty good to convince so many teams that you are worth an NBA contract.

So we took a look at the players who have played for the most teams while in the NBA. Feel free to use this as a resource next time you are having trouble guessing a player for Immaculate Grid.

Note that some active players who could potentially make this list in the future if they keep signing with new teams in the NBA include Justin Holiday, Robin Lopez, Jae Crowder, Seth Curry, George Hill, JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris and Noah Vonleh.

The pie charts provided below indicate how many games each player played with each team so you can track longevity.

All data is available via Basketball-Reference and NBA.com.