The Houston Rockets failed to live up to the hype surrounding them prior to Game 7 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas as they fell 103-89 to the Golden State Warriors.
The game was noteworthy not just for the final score and the fact that it ended the Rockets’ season, but also for the performance of former top five pick Jalen Green, who scored 13 points below his regular season average with just eight points on the evening.
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The 23-year-old Green faced a backlash among NBA fans shortly after his disappointing performance, to which he offered a response.
“I gotta be better,” Green said. “First playoff isn’t an excuse.”
On Monday, a former NBA playoff lightning rod, ex-Clippers star Lou Williams, came to Green’s defense as he shared his unfiltered thoughts live on camera.
Jalen Green shots over a GSW defender at the Toyota Center in Houston on Sunday. © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
He was asked by Michelle Beadle on ‘Run It Back’ from FanDuel TV about Green’s future with Ime Udoka’s team.
“I’ve heard the talks about them moving him…Only way you consider moving a guy like Jalen Green is if you have a real chance at going and getting a Ja Morant or Kevin Durant or one of these guys who are obvious franchise changers,” former Sixth Man of the Year and NBA player Lou Williams said.
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“You know in this series, I think (Green) learned that, it’s other ways to impact the game. ‘You can’t be a one-trick pony, you go out there and you can’t score the basketball, then what?'”
Williams called for patience around the league as situations similar to Green’s involving young players continue to unfold.
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