Many of the 13,936 followers on the Toyota Middle on Monday night time got here to the Houston Rockets recreation to select up a free Jalen Inexperienced bobblehead. They left with jaws dropped after a career-high efficiency by heart Christian Wooden, whose 30 second-half factors helped the Rockets beat the Washington Wizards 115-97.
The 6-foot-10 massive man completed with 39 factors on 14-of-18 taking pictures (77.8%), the very best level whole by a Rockets participant on 75% or higher taking pictures since James Harden's 56-point recreation in opposition to Utah in November. 5/2017, taking pictures 19 of 25 (76.0%).
Wooden was on hearth from 3-point vary and past. He hit a career-high eight 3-pointers within the second half, going 7-for-7 from lengthy vary, with the final try coming 33 toes from the basket.
“That final step again that I fired was after I felt every part that I threw up went in,” Wooden stated after the sport. “That was a thermal test, positive.
After trailing by 23 factors within the first half, Houston wanted a heroic efficiency to rally, and Wooden delivered. The second half belonged to the 26-year-old, who scored 15 factors apiece within the third and fourth quarters to assist the Rockets win their 18th recreation of the season.
“I used to be simply shocked,” rookie Jalen Inexperienced stated of Wooden's second-half efficiency. “Once you're on the courtroom and it occurs, any person will get fired up like that, it's like, oh my god! We knew he was sizzling and we simply stored feeding him and he simply stored taking pictures.”
Though Wooden solely performed 9 of 12 video games in March and missed three video games resulting from sickness (strep), he was very environment friendly. He’s averaging 22.1 factors and 10.1 rebounds in 32 minutes per recreation. He has 200 factors on 109 pictures this month, which equates to 1.83 factors per shot.
Wooden stated after the sport that he strongly believes in Houston's future with a younger core of gamers that features himself, Inexperienced, Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun:
We had many video games of glimpses of what we could possibly be. I consider on this crew and all of the younger guys. We’re a proficient crew and we’ve to stay collectively and attempt to keep the identical power and energy on a constant foundation, particularly defensively.
Houston (18-54) now embarks on a three-game street journey beginning Wednesday in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks (44-28).
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Christian Wooden exploded for a career-high 39 factors because the Rockets beat the Wizards
Story initially appeared on Rockets Wire
