Mike Breen yelled out his famous “bang” catchphrase as Alec Burks drilled a three-pointer as the shot clock expired, drilling a dagger into the heart of the Houston Rockets upset bid.
On Saturday afternoon, the Rocket had their first taste of a Madison Square Garden crowd that has been buzzing with a different type of energy since making the playoffs last season. In their first taste of MSG, fellow rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun each put forth a winning effort despite coming up short. Green scored 16 points on 7-11 shooting while Sengun wowed Mike Breen over and over as he scored 10 points and pulled down 6 rebounds while showing off a veteran level of composure in the final quarter.