Rockets Fall to Grizzlies, 113-106, for Second Straight Loss
Jammed Schedule. Twin Towers. Different Losses.
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Rockets didn’t have the energy required to pull out a gutsy victory in Memphis. Houston put up a valiant effort, but came up short, 113-106, on Saturday night. The Rockets played much better compared to the 136-102 beatdown the Grizzlies gave them earlier this season. Dillon Brooks’ season-high 25 points fueled the Grizz, who continue to have success without Ja Morant. Christian Wood had another double-double to lead Houston, with 22 points and 11 boards. Armoni Brooks scored 18 points, putting up another solid game for the Rockets. Garrison Matthews and Josh Christopher had 12 points apiece. And Alperen Sengun, put on another show. The 19-year-old rookie tied his career-high with 15 points, to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists, in a more-than-usual 23 minutes of playing time.
The stats alone don’t tell the tale with Sengun. His passing is arguably his greatest asset. He’s one of the best passing big men I’ve ever seen. And he’s only beginning his NBA journey. Sengun has a point guard’s vision, his feel for the court is an intangible that can’t be taught. Age shouldn’t restrict this guy. Sengun is wise beyond his years, and very talented. He’s arguably the best rookie in the entire draft class, no offense to Jalen Green. If only Stephen Silas gave him consistent minutes. In addition to being an elite passer, Sengun’s already shown glimpses of Hakeem Olajuwon-like moves in the post. There’s good things to come in Houston’s future from what looks like the steal of the draft in Sengun.
Daniel Theis started this game, mainly to match up with Steven Adams, one of the tougher players in the NBA. However, Adams suffered an injury, and that allowed Sengun to get more playing time than usual, as Theis only played 18 minutes and wasn’t a factor once Adams left the game. Wood and Sengun played together for the most minutes all season, and hopefully they’ll get more chances in the future. The Rockets have now lost two in a row after their seven-game winning streak. Saturday in Memphis was going to be difficult regardless, as Houston played so hard the night prior against Milwaukee. They might not admit it, but the team had tired legs, yet still only lost by 7 points, after starting the game in an 11-1 hole. The Rockets could’ve easily given up, and got blown out why 30 again in Memphis. But this is a different Houston team. The Rockets led most of the night against the Bucks, but came up short agains the Champs. And second-halves of a back-to-back are always difficult, especially on the road. This was also the Rockets’ fourth game in six days. And the jammed schedule doesn’t let up, as Houston’s in the midst of a five-game in seven-days stretch at the moment. The squad will get a day off before facing the Hawks in Atlanta, where maybe, just maybe, the Rockets will have more fuel for a victory.