Report: Rockets to give Gerald Green guaranteed deal, amp up arms race with Warriors
Gerald Green’s Rockets didn’t get the win on Thursday, but it was still a pretty good night for the Houston guard.
With James Harden injured, Green got extended run off the bench and caught fire, scoring 29 points in 34 minutes. He hit 8-of-15 three-point attempts and made big shots down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden State Warriors pulled away for a 124-114 win in matchup between the league’s top two teams.
Gerald Green scored a season-high 29 PTS and tied his career-high with 8 3PM for the @HoustonRockets!#Rockets pic.twitter.com/IFdGXPUfBl
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2018
But news broke shortly after the game of a pretty nice consolation prize for Green, who has been playing on a non-guaranteed deal he originally signed on Dec. 28.
As expected, Rockets plan to guarantee Gerald Green's contract for the season, league sources tell ESPN. Deadline is Sunday. Rockets will waive guard Bobby Brown, sources said. He could return on 10-day deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 5, 2018
Green had been solid through four games since signing with Houston, averaging 13.8 points while hitting on 13-of-22 three pointer before Thursday night’s explosion.
With Harden sidelined for at least a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury, keeping Green on makes perfect sense. He’s a guy who can score at the rim and from distance. In other words, he fits perfectly into Mike D’Antoni’s scheme.
The Rockets’ quest to outshoot and outscore the Warriors will be one of the storylines to watch as the season progresses and we get into the playoffs. Golden State, minus Kevin Durant got the best of the short-handed Rockets on Thursday to win the latest round.
But the Rockets’ long-term goal is to have a lineup that can get hot and outscore the Warriors in four out of seven games. Gerald Green is a guy who can help that cause.
