"Straight s**t" - Jalen Green offers blunt self-evaluation after Rockets fall short to Warriors in playoffs

May 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) walks off the court after game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images - Source: Imagn
Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) walks off the court after game seven of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. (Credit: IMAGN)

Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets couldn't handle the more experienced Golden State Warriors team on Sunday. The Warriors outperformed the third-seeded team in Game 7 with a 103-89 defeat. One of the biggest topics for the Rockets was how Green performed throughout the series.

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Green struggled to make an impact on the floor and had eight points and four rebounds on 37.5 percent shooting in an elimination game. Aside from that, the shooting guard had multiple games where he couldn't serve as the consistent co-star for Alperen Sengun.

Throughout the series, the 6-foot-4 guard registered the following stats:

  • 13.3 points
  • 5.4 rebounds
  • 2.9 assists
  • 37.2 percent shooting from the field
  • 29.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

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Jalen Green had a standout Game 2 performance - 38 points, six assists, three steals, shooting 52 percent from the field and aggressive play - but struggled to maintain that performance throughout the series. Following their elimination, the Houston Rockets star criticized himself, realizing he should've played better.

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"Besides that one game, s**t, straight s**t, I got to be better. First playoffs is no excuse," Green said.
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The Houston Rockets almost made a comeback in the series after the Golden State Warriors went up 3-1. The Sengun-led team won two games in a row to extend their win streak to seven games. However, they fell short in the crucial Game 7.

Following their loss, Jalen Green received criticism from former players.


Shaquille O'Neal called out Jalen Green

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal - who knows the importance of each game in the postseason - reserved some words for Jalen Green for his subpar performance in Game 7 of the Rockets vs. Warriors series on TNT's "Inside the NBA."

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"They [Golden State] took Houston out of their game mentally," O'Neal said (5:29). "Jalen Green, I love him, but he's going to have to learn how to play in big moments.
"You've got to be big. You want to be touted as a superstar. You've got to play like a superstar. Not blaming the loss on him. I'm just saying as a youngster, when they're looking at you as next, you've got to step up."
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Even his co-host, Charles Barkley, criticized Green. He said there was no excuse for his performance against the Warriors and highlighted that he had trouble scoring the basketball.

His postseason numbers are far from what he had in the regular season. During the regular season, Jalen Green averaged 21 points and 4.6 rebounds on 42.3 percent from the field.

Warriors Nation! You can check out the latest Golden State Warriors Schedule and dive into the Warriors Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by William Paul
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