Rockets Fall to Grizzlies, 121-113, in Final Game Before Break
Beale Street Blues. Lost Effort. Break Time.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, their break seemed to start a little early on Wednesday night in Memphis. The squad was mentally tuned out as they lost to the Grizzlies, 121-113 in their final game before the All-Star break. Just like the first game between these teams in Memphis, Houston trailed by 15 points after the first period. Unlike the prior game, the Rockets weren’t able to mount a comeback in this contest.
The minds of Houston’s players seemed to be on vacation a game early in Memphis, the last matchup before the league’s intermission, as the All-Star break is now officially underway for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, and Aaron Holiday all scored 19 points each to lead Houston. Thompson had another strong game on the glass, grabbing 12 boards to add another double-double to his resume. Thompson and Holiday were two of the few bright spots for the Rockets in Memphis.
Jalen Green had a disappointing performance on Wednesday night, scoring only 4 points in less than 23 minutes of action. The rarely played Nate Hinton saw 15 minutes of playing time, and responded by scoring 10 points and giving Houston a burst of energy to tighten the deficit. Regardless, this game was a lot effort for a Rockets team that played with no sense of urgency against the Grizz. GG Jackson led Memphis with 20 point off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, and sharpshooter Luke Kennard supplied 19 points to help the Grizzlies down Houston. With the victory, Memphis snapped their own nine-game skid. Against an equally injured opponent, this was one of Houston’s worst losses of the season for a Rockets team flying in vacation mode.
Houston is now 24-30 on the season as we head into the All-Star break. The Rockets are a respectable 19-9 at home, but the squad is struggling mightily on the road, with a 5-21 record away from Toyota Center. Houston will get a chance to improve their road woes right away after the break ends, as the Rockets’ next game is in New Orleans against the Pelicans next Thursday night. For now, the break couldn’t come at a better time for this young Houston squad. The Rockets are still dealing with multiple injuries to key players, and this extra time off allows those guys to rest and attempt to recover back to full health. The squad needs to enjoy some time off, relax, and be prepared to return for the home stretch of the season with a raised intensity.