Green on Rockets' early season winning streak: 'It's a blessing'

What a difference two weeks make as the Houston Rockets go from winless to one of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) hottest teams at the moment. After dropping the first three games of the 2023-2024 season, the Rockets are riding a four-game winning streak after throttling LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 128-94 at home on November 8. The last time the Rockets enjoyed being on such a streak was two years ago.

"It’s a blessing,” third-year guard Jalen Green said in a postgame interview published by the Locked On Rockets podcast on YouTube. I’m just happy about it,” Green said, according to Locked On Rockets.", said Jalen Green.

Green, whom the Rockets made the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, added that this streak shows progress for this long-rebuilding franchise. The Associated Press reported that he contributed significantly to this improvement by scoring 28 points and guiding Houston to arguably its most critical win in which they did not trail behind Lakers once.

Coach Ime Udoka, who is in his first year with team, told AP that this improvement is reflective of positive changes within Rockets' approach towards their game. In his view, they have taken appropriate measures due to which their confidence has skyrocketed leading to better performances on court. The report also highlighted how efficiently Rockets played in fourth quarter which allowed both teams to rest their starters early.

The game against Lakers also saw return of Tari Eason for his second year with Rockets after suffering from a leg injury at start of season. Eason showed an impressive performance with nine points and nine rebounds contributing towards victory. According to AP, as part of their debut participation in NBA's new In Season Tournament starting Nov.10th, New Orleans Pelicans will be their first opponent for monthlong event featuring all 30 teams.