Jalen Green scores 34, leads Rockets to 11th straight win with 101-100 victory over Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jalen Green scored 30 of his 34 points in the second half and had nine rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 101-100 on Friday night for their 11th straight win.

Fred VanVleet had 22 points, Amen Thompson added 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 14 points for the Rockets. Houston scored 27 points off 21 Utah turnovers and outscored the Jazz 25-12 in second-chance points.

Dominating the offensive glass and winning the turnover battle helped the Rockets offset a sluggish start and 38.5% shooting from the field.

“You don’t hang your head when it’s not going easy early,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “We were guarding well enough, and we knew the worm would turn as far as the shooting.”

John Collins led Utah with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Collin Sexton added 29 points for the Jazz, who lost their eighth straight game. Kris Dunn finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Utah had chances to snap its skid, but ultimately couldn’t overcome multiple careless possessions at critical junctures.

“They got 11 more shots than we did, plus shooting nine more free throws than we did, so we lost the possession battle by a pretty big number tonight,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "We’ve got to continue to take care of the ball.”

The Rockets trailed the entire first half but swung momentum their way during a third-quarter scoring outburst from Green.

Green had five of Houston’s first six baskets of the second half to power a 20-7 run that put the Rockets up 61-54 midway through the third quarter. He scored 20 of his team’s 28 points in the quarter.

“We came out running plays for me at the beginning of the third,” Green said. “I was just taking what the defense gives me and shots were falling.”

Utah surged back in front behind a 16-2 run. Sexton fueled the run with a 360-degree dunk and punctuated it with a finger-roll layup that put the Jazz up 74-69.

Houston pulled ahead for good when Green tipped in a layup and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers as part of a 14-3 run. Green’s second 3 gave the Rockets a 92-85 lead with 3:45 left.

Utah cut the deficit to one with 1:21 remaining on a turnaround jumper from Johnny Juzang. VanVleet banked in a pullup jumper and Green hit two free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal the victory.

Green has finished with 30 or more points five times in his last eight games.

“He’s been carrying us pretty much since the All-Star break,” VanVleet said. “We trust him and want to keep giving him the ball in his spots and letting him create. He can get hot.”

Houston sputtered to a season-low 13 points in the first quarter while shooting just 21% from the field over that stretch.

Collins and Sexton combined for six baskets and 21 of Utah’s first 23 points to help the Jazz overcome an 0-of-10 start from 3-point range and take advantage of the Rockets’ early struggles. Their production helped Utah carry a 23-13 lead into the second quarter.

Utah led by 13 points in the first half, going up 39-26 on a pair of 3-pointers from Collins. The Rockets closed the gap before halftime when Smith capped a string of three consecutive Houston baskets with a dunk to make it 43-39.

“It was a little rough around the edges with some attention to detail, but I thought we competed for 48 minutes,” Collins said.

UP NEXT

Rockets: hosts Dallas on Sunday.

Jazz: At Sacramento on Sunday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn (11) shoots as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) pulls down a rebound as Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka reacts to a call during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton, right, defends against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy speaks with John Collins (20) during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets on Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) goes to the basket as Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (8) guards Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) goes to the basket as Utah Jazz's Taylor Hendricks (0) and John Collins (20) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 29, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani launched his fourth home run in three games and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Monday night in Walker Buehler's first major league start in nearly two years.

Ohtani became the first big leaguer to reach 11 homers this season when he crushed an elevated fastball from Roddery Muñoz (1-1) and sent it 441 feet into the center-field netting for a two-run shot in the first inning that tied the score 2-all.

It is the eighth time in Ohtani's career he has homered in three straight games, and the fourth time he's hit four in a three-game span.

“All the balls that he’s driving are in his nitro zone. If they don’t throw it there, he takes his base. And if they do, he’s ready to fire,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So, he’s getting hits, he’s driving in runs, and now he’s slugging. It's a result of controlling the strike zone.”

Two pitches after Ohtani’s homer, Freddie Freeman followed with a solo shot to left-center, the first time the Dodgers had gone back-to-back this season.

“I’m just glad we got the lead back. You want to be able to do that as an offense, fight back and let Walker breathe a little bit in his first start back,” Freeman said.

James Outman and Teoscar Hernández also went deep as the Dodgers won their fourth straight.

Nick Gordon homered as the Marlins lost for the third time in four games on their West Coast trip.

Buehler went four innings, allowing three runs and six hits with four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 49 for strikes.

It was his first start in the majors since June 10, 2022. The two-time All-Star had his second Tommy John surgery in August that year. He was 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six minor league starts this season, mostly at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Roberts said before the game the right-hander's pitch count would be anywhere from 80 to 85.

“I was kind of tiring myself out the first couple innings before I settled in there,” Buehler said. “I wish it would have gone better and thrown five or six shutout innings, but it's done and I'm glad to be back.”

Ryan Yarbrough (3-1) followed Buehler with three innings of one-hit ball, and Alex Vesia worked the ninth for his first save.

Buehler showed some early nerves as the first two batters reached base and the Marlins scored twice in the first on RBI singles by by Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez. Nick Gordon’s leadoff homer in the second tied it 3-all before Buehler settled down.

Gavin Lux led off the second with a walk before Outman homered to right-center to put the Dodgers up 5-3.

Hernández's solo shot in the third marked the second time in three games the Dodgers hit at least four homers.

Muñoz went 4 2/3 innings in his third career start and allowed six runs on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

“I’m guessing maybe the nerves took over a little bit,” Marlins manager Skip Schumacher said. “It’s a team that’s going to hit. They walk and they slug, that’s what they do. If you get behind them and give them free passes they are going to make you pay.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Marlins: INF Jake Burger was activated after missing 20 games due to a left intercostal muscle strain and went 0 for 4. INF Jonah Bride was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Dodgers: RHP Joe Kelly was placed on the injured list with a right posterior shoulder strain. ... OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness) took batting practice, but it will not be decided until at least Thursday when he might start a rehab stint.

UP NEXT

Miami RHP Edward Cabrera (1-1, 6.05 ERA) faces RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 2.91) in the middle game of the series.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr., left, steals second base ahead of a tag by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux (9) during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Roddery Muñoz throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Marlins' Nick Gordon (1) celebrates with Vidal Bruján after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández celebrates with Mookie Betts (50) after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. Mookie Betts also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' James Outman celebrates after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. Gavin Lux also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani singles during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani waits for a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Los Angeles, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)