Rockets Tame Grizzlies, 111-91, Snap Losing Streak
Home Cooking. Green Light. Back to Business.
For the seventh straight time at home, the Rockets came out victorious, as they handed the Grizzlies a 111-91 loss on Wednesday night. Memphis kept the game interesting until midway through the third period, when Houston gained control of the game, and coasted to victory in a drama-less fourth quarter. Jalen Green had the green light to be as aggressive as needed, and shined with a season-high 34 points. Green continued to struggle from beyond the are, connecting on only 3 of his 13 three-point attempts. However, he finished the game shooting 50% from the floor, nailing 13 of his 26 jumpers overall. Jabari Smith Jr. continues his recent trend of consistent play. The sophomore forward contributed 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the night The Rockets have now won seven straight at home, after losing their opener to the pesky Warriors. However, Houston remains winless on the road, and their next two chances away from home are tough contests.
An opponent like Memphis gave the Rockets the opportunity to take a breather from all the tough and desperate competition they’ve faced early this season. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane chipped in with 23 points apiece for the Grizz, but they never threatened Houston’s balanced attach late in the game. So the Rockets handled business like they should have, and easily beat the Grizzlies. However, the road gets rockier again as the next three games on the schedule are incredibly difficult. The Rockets will face the defending champion Denver Nuggets twice in the next three games, and sandwiched in between is a matchup against the upstart Dallas Mavericks.
Expect the urgency to be dialed up for the next two games for the Rockets, as they close out their In-Season Tournament group play with two tough matchups. First, the squad hosts the Nuggets on Friday, before traveling to play the Mavericks next Tuesday. Houston still has a chance to advance to the knockout stage of the inaugural tourney, but they need to win these next two games to have any chance. The Nuggets will certainly be salivating at the chance for revenge after losing to the Rockets in their first trip to Houston earlier this season. If the home squad can dial up their sense of urgency, and clean up their poor shot selection and turnovers, the Rockets have a chance to extend their winning streak at home to eight games… and stay alive in the In-Season Tournament.