Grizzlies Run Past Rockets 121-110, as Houston’s Road Woes Continue
Morant’s Town. Waisting a Backup. Resting Problems.
Houston strolled into Memphis on two days rest, ready to take on a hot Grizzlies team. At least they looked ready pregame, but looks can be deceiving. The Rockets led for most of the game, but let another losing team hang around. Houston’s defense gave up 36 points in the fourth quarter, as the surging Grizzlies topped the Rockets, 121-110. James Harden didn’t have enough in the tank, despite another high-scoring affair. The Beard finished with 41 points, but his efficiency and decision-making were below average. Harden hoisted 37 shots, but only made 13, and couldn’t even make a basket in the final quarter. Ja Morant showed everyone why he’s the Rookie of the Year. Morant scored 26 points on a stellar 10-for-11 shooting, along with 8 dimes and 5 boards. Ja is poised to become one of the NBA’s premier point guards for years to come, and the face of the Grizzlies’ franchise. Houston’s now lost 4 of 5 on the road, after starting out 11-5 away from Toyota Center. The halfway mark is two games away. Losses like Tuesday’s in Memphis aren’t world-enders, but the Rockets chances for the top seed out West are slipping out of reality with each passing day.
It wasn’t like this game was out of reach. The Rockets led by 5 after one quarter, and trailed by only 2 heading into the final period. However, Houston displayed no sense of urgency, particularly on defense, allowing Memphis wide-open threes and layups all night. I don’t know if the 36 points the defense gave up should be taken that the team was gassed, or if the Rockets are still too laissez faire with losing teams in the regular season. It’s probably a combination of both. These 7-man rotations are starting to wear the squad down. Houston is dead-set on resting Westbrook for at least one game every back-to-back this season, but the Rockets struggle without Brodie. Houston is 3-3 when Westbrook sits. The more concerning issue is coach Mike D’Antoni’s coaching decisions over the last few games. At age 34, P.J. Tucker is still Houston’s heart and soul on defense But P.J. is playing way too many minutes, he’s 5th in the NBA in minutes per game. And Isaiah Hartenstein, who improves each time he sees the floor, has seen his minutes toyed with over the last few matchups. There’s no reason Hustlestein shouldn’t be playing more minutes every night. He’s earned it, and it will give the squad rest overall. Looking at Houston’s last three games, Harty played 4 minutes in the losses to Oklahoma City and Memphis. However, in the Rockets victory over Minnesota, Hartenstein finished with 17 points, 15 boards, and 5 blocks in 39 minutes of action. Watching the big fella play, he’s nicknamed “Hustlestein” for a reason. D’Antoni earlier in the year said he didn’t want to give Harty more chances because he was too foul-prone. Isaiah isn’t hacking as much anymore, and deserves to be on the court more than the bench. If D’Antoni doesn’t give the big fella more minutes, it will only hurt his confidence that’s already at an all-time high. Houston has their back-up center. They can’t afford to let him rot away at the end of the bench. It makes no sense. Hopefully, Harty sees more action in the future, or the Rockets inconsistency will continue. This squad doesn’t have the depth at the interior positions to be resting a player of Hartenstein’s caliber. He needs more court time. With Brodie resting a game on back-to-backs, and the continued occurrence of minor injuries, the Rockets can’t withstand the rest of the season with their backup center waisting away on the bench.
Westbrook returns for Houston’s next game, Wednesday back home, against Portland. And the Rockets will be better, at least they should, despite their recent history on the second night of back-to-backs. But these problems Houston’s dealing with, they’re not going anywhere. They’ll be resting with the squad all season. We are two games before the halfway mark of the season and only thing’s crystal clear: the Rockets don’t respect teams with losing records. Memphis is on a roll after a slow start, and much better than their 19-22 record, but the Rockets are better than these Grizzlies. With or without Westbrook. Houston had two days off to prepare, yet still lacked the sense of urgency teams like the Lakers and Bucks are playing with this season. Those squads understand the importance of seeding this year. Especially in the West. And the clock’s ticking on the Rockets chance for a top spot. Houston faces the Trail Blazers next, another team with a losing record. The Rockets have to start taking care of business against inferior opponents. If this trend continues all season, Houston will be the fourth or fifth seed. Making their playoff run all the more steep and difficult. Take care of business now, and the challenges won’t be so brutal later. A mantra the Beard and the Rockets can’t seem to understand. They’ve got a chance to get back on the winning side in their next game, and they’d better. Houston needs to stop strolling around like they’re the “swag champs,” instead of approaching every game with the same intensity. Otherwise come playoff time… the mountainous climb to the NBA’s throne may be too high to reach.