Last season, Jalen Green struggled as the Golden State Warriors upset his Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Now a Phoenix Sun, Green got payback with 36 points in a 111-96 win that earned the Suns the No. 8 seed.
Green shot 14-of-20 from the field, with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks as the Suns jumped out to big a early lead and thwarted some Warriors comeback attempts. It was a triumphant week for Green, who showed why he was the centerpiece of their offseason Kevin Durant trade.
Jalen Green scored big in both play-in games
Green missed 50 games this season with various injuries but roared back in the play-in tournament. He scored 35 points in Phoenix’s 114-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and followed it up with an even bigger, more efficient scoring night against the Warriors.
The Suns acquired Green, along with Dillon Brooks, when they traded Durant to the Rockets in June 2025. He was a salary match for the maximum-contract Durant but also somewhat of a salary dump for the Rockets, who owed Green roughly $70M over two seasons. Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, always showed potential as a scorer but never became a star in Houston.
Finally healthy, Green simply destroyed the Warriors Friday night. He made all six of his two-point shots and shot 8-of-14 behind the arc, seemingly unaffected by any Warriors defenders.