Rockets hold Suns at bay in fourth straight win

Field Level Media|published: Wed 12th March, 23:17 2025

Mar 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dunks the ball during the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Jalen Green scored a game-high 29 points, Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks combined for 39 points and the Houston Rockets topped the visiting Phoenix Suns 111-104 on Wednesday.

Green finished 10 for 11 from the free-throw line and grabbed seven rebounds while Sengun paired 20 points with seven assists. Brooks added 19 points on 8-of-14-shooting from the field.

The Rockets, who received 15 points and 10 rebounds from Tari Eason, extended their winning streak to four and moved to 3-0 on their six-game homestand.

Bradley Beal paced the Suns with 25 points while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker scored 19 each. Phoenix shot 53.4 percent from the field but committed 17 turnovers en route to its fourth loss in six games.

Green scored five points early in the third quarter to push the Rockets to their first double-digit lead at 62-52. Brooks later completed a three-point play that extended the margin to 12, the largest of the period for Houston. Green tallied 14 points in the third.

Brooks' driving layup with 5:54 left to play gave Houston a 103-86 lead, its largest of the game.

Durant recorded a pair of baskets during a 14-3 first-quarter run that featured 3s from Booker and Tyus Jones and lifted the Suns to a 25-21 lead.

But the Rockets closed the opening frame with a flourish, with Brooks' 3-pointer preceding a Green layup and last-second 3-pointer that provided Houston a 32-27 lead entering the second.

Booker responded to the Suns' seven-point deficit with a driving layup and pullup jumper that pulled the visitors to within 37-34 early in the second. However, the Rockets managed to keep Phoenix at bay throughout the period.

Both teams lost centers when Steven Adams and Mason Plumlee were ejected with 3:12 remaining in the opening half following an altercation.

Beal closed the scoring with a 19-footer that sliced the Houston advantage to 57-52 at the intermission.

Green, Brooks and Sengun combined to score 38 points on 14-of-18 shooting from the field in the first half.

--Field Level Media

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