Filipino-American rookie Jalen Green made quite an impression in his NBA preseason debut for the Houston Rockets as they took down the Washington Wizards, 125-119, on Tuesday, October 5 (Wednesday, October 6, Manila time) at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Despite the limited playing time, Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, showed a glimpse of what he can do for the Rockets in the coming regular season as he tallied 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in the victory.

The 19-year-old Green made his presence felt in the first half, where he scored 10 of his 12 markers, including a tough double-pump layup over Wizards superstar Bradley Beal and center Daniel Gafford for his first ever basket in an official Rockets uniform.

However, despite the victory and the double-digit output, Green struggled to shoot the ball from the field as he finished the game on a 4-of-14 shooting clip, including a dismal 0-of-6 mark from deep.

“I felt like I could have shot a little bit better. It didn’t fall tonight but it’s going to happen,” Green told reporters after the game.

“I thought I was very aggressive, getting downhill and locking on defense, but I couldn’t hit shots today and like I said, it’s going to happen,” he added.

Kevin Porter Jr. led the way for Houston with 25 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, while newly acquired center Daniel Theis also chipped in 12 points.

Beal, who averaged 31.3 points last season, topscored for Washington with 18 points, while new recruits Aaron Holiday and Spencer Dinwiddie added 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Green and the rest of the Rockets will look to make it two in a row when they take on the Miami Heat on Friday, October 8, Manila time, in their second preseason action.

– Rappler.com