With a chance to go above .500 for the first time in two years and nine months, the Houston Rockets faced no shortage of motivation heading into their Wednesday night matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, head coach Ime Udoka saw it fit to light an even greater fire underneath third-year guard Jalen Green, using Austin Reaves' inclusion in the Team USA squad that competed during the 2023 FIBA World Cup to motivate him.

As one would recall, Green was merely part of the Team USA select team that was put together to give the squad heading to the Philippines some high-level reps in preparation for the major international tournament. This, of course, implies that Reaves was a more worthy inclusion into the roster than Green was — a slight towards the Rockets guard.

In the end, Jalen Green was able to use that piece of motivation from the Rockets head coach to fuel a huge 28-point night in their 128-94 drubbing of the Lakers to move to a winning record for the first time in 1,005 days.

“He did mention [the Austin Reaves-Team USA selection]. He said that after the dunk, the three-point, then the dunk, he did say that,” Green recalled, laughing, per Jackson Gatlin of Locked On Rockets. “It was a little confidence boost. I get that from all my guys here, so I appreciate it.”

The sequence Jalen Green was alluding to came on the second quarter, with the Rockets already up by the double digits on the Lakers. Green, after nailing a pull-up triple, proceeded to pick Austin Reaves' pocket before flying in for a resounding tomahawk slam in transition to put the Rockets up by 18, never looking back from that point forward.

On the night, Green stood out as the Rockets' most dangerous weapon on the floor, showcasing the talent that made him worth the second overall selection of the 2021 NBA Draft. In just 21 minutes of play, Green tallied a season-high 28 on a stellar 11-15 shooting display. The Rockets, under Ime Udoka, have been rejuvenated, and it's not hard to see why when Udoka knows which buttons to push to motivate his guys.