HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Jalen Green finished with 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the Rockets 132-127 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, and Donovan Mitchell says the player he faced on Wednesday is much different than the player he saw in October.
"Jalen Green has gotten phenomenally better," Mitchell said.
Green's fifth NBA game came against the Jazz on October 28. He finished with 13 points that night, but shot just 3-of-16 from the field.
"I think the first time we played he was just trying to go out there and just be athletic and try to finish through and over and around," Mitchell recalled. "I think you look at tonight and the way he played, he was composed, he let the game come to him, and went out there and just and made right plays on offense."
The Rockets rookie didn't attempt a shot in the first quarter of Wednesday's game, but he erupted for 16 points in the second. Six of Green's made baskets came from inside the paint, and he had no problem attacking the rim, even with Rudy Gobert protecting it. Green hit the 20-point mark for the fourth time in five games while playing a career-high 47 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back.
"You got Kevin Porter, Christian Wood, Garrison Mathews out there (so) you can play with those matchups, and he did a good job of that night."
Wednesday was the fourth and final meeting between the Rockets and Jazz this season, and Mitchell knows Green is someone he's going to have to contend with for a long time.
"He's gonna be really good."
