3 Studs, 1 dud from Rockets' exhausting OT win over Sixers

The Houston Rockets are not afraid to take a game to overtime.

It's happened twice in a row now. The Rockets needed an extra frame to vanquish the Wolves. That's one thing, but it was surprising to see them go into overtime with the 76ers in Wednesday's contest.

After all, the Sixers were without both Joel Embiid and Paul George. Still, the emergence of Jared McCain as a rookie and the presence of Tyrese Maxey gives them one of the most talented backcourts in the league. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and the Rockets had to eat what they killed last night. Ultimately, they got the job done.

Here are 3 studs and 1 dud from that contest.

Stud: Jalen Green

Rockets fans may want to look into the abuse cycle...

Jalen Green just bought them a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Everyone was out on Green. Naturally, he decided to drop 41 points on 12/20 shooting from the field. Green was the single most significant reason for the Rockets' win on Wednesday.

This shouldn't change much in terms of the long-term calculus. The charge against Green has never been that he can't get hot. The charge has been that he can't do it consistently. Rockets fans should need more than one game before deciding this is their star guard of the future.

Still, Green is unlikely to land anywhere else in 2024-25. He should finish the season on the Rockets' roster. He won't keep going for 41 while shooting over 50% from the field, but if Green can showcase last night's shot selection regularly, and maintain decent efficiency:

He may stop abusing Rockets fans in due time.

Stud: Amen Thompson

If you argued that Thompson's defense is the single most impressive trait you'll find on this Rockets team, you wouldn't get an argument here.

He was everywhere at the same time last night. Thompson finished the game with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Those types of stock totals are becoming regular fare for Thompson, which is patently absurd.

He was particularly impactful in overtime. Thompson shut the Sixers down during the extra inning.

That said, someone else was leading the charge offensively.

Stud: Alperen Sengun

Sengun was quiet throughout much of this game. He had three points at the half. In overtime, the Turkish star decided to take over.

That was partly due to the defensive attention Green was drawing. Rockets fans got a taste of how this dynamic would look if both players consistently played well together. It's nearly impossible to guard an elite inside scoring big when a dominant perimeter scorer is on the floor with him. That inside/outside dynamic led the Rockets to a win in this one.

Sengun finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 (particularly emphatic) block. His ability to let his teammates carry, and take over when necessary, points to a maturity in his game that has led him to a star role for a playoff-caliber team.

Dud: Fred VanVleet

Writing VanVleet's name in the "dud" category is getting tiresome.

He's the Rockets' highest-paid player by a long shot. VanVleet is supposed to produce. Last night, he treated Rockets fans to more wild inefficiency.

VanVleet had 16 points on 4/14 shooting from the field. It wasn't all bad. VanVleet managed the offense like he normally does. He protected the ball. This is a smart player who seldom makes passing mistakes.

Some of the shots VanVleet is firing feel questionable. That's being polite. He's having a woefully poor shooting season. If VanVleet had opted to move the rock a little more often last night and hold out for a better look, the Rockets might not have needed overtime to beat the Sixers.

Luckily, that's not a problem for them.