Christian Wood continued his phenomenal run in March with 28 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday, and it toured Memphis in Houston's stunning 123-112 win (box score).
Facing a tough opponent in Steven Adams, Wood made 8-12 shots (66.7%) on aggregate and 4-of-7 shots at 3-pointers (57.1%). He also intercepted two shots and made 8-of-11 free throws (72.7%), a liability for the big man during the 2021–22 season. Those eight include a last-minute 2-for-2 to ice the game.
In four games this month, Wood is now averaging 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks in 35.5 minutes per game. He is shooting 62.5% overall (averaging 12.0 attempts per game), 50.0% at 3-pointers (5.0 attempts per game), and 72.4% on free throws.
All-Star guard and MVP candidate Jay Morant had 22 points and 6 assists for the Grizzlies, but he shot just 7-of-20 (35.0%) from the field and usually hit Houston's youth backcourt Kevin Porter Jr. Outplayed by Jalen. Green. Porter, now in his third season, scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%), with 19 coming in the third quarter as Houston wiped out a 10-point halftime deficit.
Meanwhile, Green scored 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting (47.1%), grabbing 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Green's two makings were on extremely competitive shots in the closing minutes as Houston pulled the game away in front of a cheering crowd at Toyota Center.
The Grizzlies (44-22) are still the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, while the Rockets (16-48) remain in the last. But for one night at least, and with his three key building blocks in place, Houston left his fans with legitimate hopes for the future.
#Rockets tonight:
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) March 7, 2022
Jalen Green:
24 PTS | 8 REB | 4 AST | 8/17 FG
Kevin Porter Jr:
29 PTS | 5 AST | 11/21 FG | 4/11 3FG
Christian Wood:
28 PTS | 13 REB | 2 BLK | 8/12 FG
Huge games from all three tonight in the W against the (formerly) No. 2 seed Grizzlies.