Grizzlies-Rockets Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Feb 19 2012 11:22PM

The Memphis Grizzlies have won their last two games on late tip-ins. They'd take a victory in Houston any way they can get one.

Winner of four straight overall, Memphis will try to snap a 10-game losing streak visiting the Rockets on Monday night when these Southwest Division rivals meet in Houston for the first time in 2011-12.

After Dante Cunningham tipped in Rudy Gay's miss with less than a second left in Friday's 103-102 win over Denver, Tony Allen put back another miss by Gay with 5.6 seconds remaining in a 104-103 victory over Golden State on Saturday.

"Tony bailed me out today," Gay said after the win over the Warriors. "(Friday) it was Dante. I think next time, I have to make the shot."

Despite the late misses, Gay is averaging 20.9 points - 2.0 more than his season mark - and shooting 49.2 percent during the Grizzlies' 6-1 run.

Memphis (18-14) will now seek to win five straight for the second time in 2012. The Grizzlies put together a seven-game run Jan. 12-23.

They have defeated the Rockets twice at home this season, including a 93-83 win last Tuesday. Memphis, though, is winless in 10 visits to Houston since April 15, 2006.

The Rockets (18-14) will look to extend their home-court edge in this series after improving to 2-1 on their season-high stretch of six straight home games with Sunday's 101-85 victory over Utah. Former Grizzlies guard Kyle Lowry hit a career high-tying seven 3-pointers and finished with 32 points and nine assists to lead the way.

"When you have one of those rhythms and your legs are feeling good and you're just confident in your shot, I feel I can make it anywhere, anytime, anyplace," he said.

Lowry was one of Houston's few bright spots in last Tuesday's loss at Memphis with 24 points and six assists. The Rockets committed 18 turnovers and shot a season-low 38.5 percent.

Houston leading scorer Kevin Martin missed all three of his shots in that game and went scoreless for the first time in six seasons. He'd averaged 29.2 points over his previous six games in this series, including a team-high 21 in a 113-93 loss Dec. 30.

"I got a video edit of his last three games before the game and I was studying his tendencies," Allen said last week. "We were talking about Kevin in shoot-around and about him being a Grizzlies killer. We had our antennas up."

Lots of opposing defenses apparently are on guard for Martin, who is shooting 36.1 percent from the field and averaging 11.4 points over his last nine contests.

His struggles won't matter as much if the Rockets can continue to buckle down on the defensive end. They held the Jazz to 39.5 percent shooting after their previous six opponents shot a combined 48.7 percent.

Houston is 10-0 this season when its opponents shoot worse than 42.4 percent. The Grizzlies have shot 52.3 percent in the first two games of this season series.

Lowry scores 24, Rockets hold off Grizzlies 97-93

By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Posted Feb 21 2012 1:52AM

HOUSTON (AP) After seeing what the Memphis Grizzlies had done in their previous two games, the Houston Rockets knew how important hitting their shots late in the fourth quarter would be on Monday night.

Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, Kevin Martin added 22 and Courtney Lee made four key free throws down the stretch as the Rockets held off the Grizzlies 97-93.

The Grizzlies had won their last two games by one point on tip-ins in the last few seconds, but their late-game magic ran out Monday as their four-game winning streak was snapped.

"Anytime in the fourth quarter in close games like that where you can get a little bit of separation, those plays are huge," Lee said.

Houston led by seven before Memphis went on a 5-0 run to get within 91-89 with 27.4 seconds left. O.J. Mayo grabbed a rebound, took it down the court and finished with a layup to cap that spurt.

Lee made a pair of free throws before Rudy Gay's layup with 19 seconds remaining got Memphis back within two points.

Lee hit two more free throws and Quincy Pondexter's layup cut it to two again before two free throws by Lowry secured the win.

"We played it right to the end," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We got close, but we couldn't make them flinch or blink at the free throw line."

Gay led the Grizzlies with 23 points and Mike Conley had 16.

"Kyle was the difference," Gay said. "He controlled the game. It's tough when he plays like that, when he drives and shoots like that. He played really well."

Luis Scola scored 10 points for Houston and Lee finished with nine - all in the fourth quarter.

The loss left Memphis without a win in Houston in 11 tries, with its last victory in the city coming in 2006.

The Grizzlies didn't make a basket in the fourth quarter until Tony Allen's layup with 5:44 remaining. He followed with another one seconds later to cut Houston's lead to 86-82.

The Rockets pushed the lead to 91-84 with just under 2 1/2 minutes remaining before Memphis went on the run that cut the lead to two with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Houston opened the fourth quarter by scoring 10 straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from Lee, to break a tie and take an 86-76 lead with about 9 minutes to go.

The Rockets thought they weren't physical enough in two losses to Memphis earlier this season and wanted to change that Monday night.

"We had to go out there and play a little bit tougher than they did," Lowry said. "I think that ... they definitely out-toughed us (before) and tonight we made it a point to out-tough them."

The Rockets led by seven early in the third before the Grizzlies used a 9-2 run to tie it at 63 with 7 minutes left in the quarter. Conley had five points during that spurt.

Memphis took a five-point lead a few minutes later, before Houston outscored the Grizzlies 7-2 at the end of the third quarter to tie it at 76 entering the fourth. Lowry, who finished with nine assists, scored all of Houston's points in that run.

The Grizzlies held Martin scoreless for the first time in six years in a 93-83 win last Tuesday in Memphis.

He outdid his performance in that game when he made his first shot - a 3-pointer with just more than 10 minutes left in the first quarter, and had 18 by halftime.

Houston's Goran Dragic got hit in the nose in a collision with Dante Cunningham while vying for a loose ball late in the third quarter. Dragic, called for a foul on the play, remained on the court for a bit while trainers checked him out. He left the game but returned just a few seconds later.

Houston coach Kevin McHale said Dragic was already feeling bad before being hit in the face because of a stomach ailment and the coach said he was happy Dragic was able to play Monday. Dragic didn't look great after the game, and said he vomited at halftime.

The Rockets led 58-54 at halftime after shooting a season-high 66.7 percent in the first half.

NOTES: Houston recalled F Marcus Morris from Rio Grande Valley of the D-League. ... Rockets C Hasheem Thabeet missed the game with a sore lower back. ... The Grizzlies controlled the paint, outscoring Houston 58-38 in that area. ... Houston's Patrick Patterson had a season-high nine rebounds.

Notebook: Rockets 97, Grizzlies 93

Posted Tuesday February 21, 2012 12:06AM

By Matt Miller, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Houston Rockets waited until the fourth quarter to show up on the defensive end. Fortunately for them, the Memphis Grizzlies' defense did not appear until a few minutes later.

Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds, and Kevin Martin added 22 points as the Rockets used an intense defensive effort and exceptional free-throw shooting in the final period to outlast the Grizzlies, 97-93, on Monday at Toyota Center.

Rudy Gay poured in 23 points and pulled down seven boards to lead Memphis (18-15), while Mike Conley chipped in with 16 points, three assists and two steals.

The Rockets (19-14), who snapped the Grizzlies' four-game winning streak with the victory, have won three of their last four games overall and 11 consecutive meetings with Memphis in Houston.

QUOTABLE: "We needed to stop dribble penetration because we kept over-helping and they kept dumping it down for dunks. ... We were more solid [at the end of the game]. We didn't allow ball-handlers to blow by."
-- Rockets rookie forward Chandler Parsons on the defensive adjustments that helped frustrate Memphis in the final period

THE STAT: After allowing the Grizzlies to pile up 76 points on 53.3 percent (32-for-60) shooting over the first three quarters, the Rockets limited Memphis to 17 points on 31.6 percent (6-for-19) shooting in the fourth.

TURNING POINT: The teams entered the fourth quarter deadlocked at 76, but Houston went on a 10-0 run over the first three minutes of the period to build its largest lead of the game. The Grizzlies battled back with their stingiest defensive play of the contest, holding the Rockets scoreless over the next four minutes during a 6-0 spurt. After a Houston timeout, however, Lowry made a strong drive to the hoop for an "and-one" layup that concluded the Rockets' drought.

QUOTABLE II: "They moved the ball and were running their sets to a tee. They showed more energy and were the aggressors. We let our claw down."
-- Grizzlies guard Tony Allen on Houston's early fourth-quarter surge.

HOT: Martin has struggled to find consistency with his shot over the last few games, but he quickly worked himself into a rhythm Monday. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard nailed his first five shots en route to an 8-for-13 performance from the floor. Martin has connected on 51.0 percent (26-for-51) of his field-goal attempts over the last four games.

HOT II: Including Monday's 3-for-7 effort from 3-point range, Lowry has shot a scorching 10-for-15 (66.7 percent) from downtown over his last two contests.

NOT: Grizzlies forward Marc Gasol failed to post his third consecutive double-double and did not assert himself in the post against the Rockets' weak interior. Gasol finished with only 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting after Houston's previous two opponents received much larger contributions from their big men.

GOOD MOVE: Houston worked Martin into the flow of its offense early and often, allowing its leading scorer to recapture his shooting touch while placing defensive specialist Allen in minor foul trouble.

NOTABLE: Rockets center Samuel Dalembert returned to the Rockets' starting lineup Monday after being benched for the first quarter of Sunday's win over Utah as punishment for missing the pre-game walk-through. ... Monday's contest was Memphis coach Lionel Hollins' 300th game as head coach. ... The Grizzlies have not won in Houston since April 15, 2006. ... Houston improved to 5-1 this season in games decided by four points or less. ... The Rockets have swept five of their last seven back-to-back sets. ... Houston improved to 6-1 when playing the second game of a back-to-back at Toyota Center. ... The Rockets shot a season-best 66.7 percent (24-for-36) in the first half. ... Houston forward Patrick Patterson grabbed a season-high nine rebounds. ... The Rockets shot 9-for-9 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. ... All five of Memphis' starters scored at least 10 points. At least five Grizzlies have scored in double figures in each of Memphis' last three games.

UP NEXT: For the Grizzlies, Tuesday vs. Philadelphia, Feb. 29 vs. Dallas, March 2 @ Toronto. For the Rockets, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Feb. 28 vs. Toronto, Feb. 29 @ Utah.

• Grizzlies: Arthur, Randolph, Selby
• Rockets: Hill, Thabeet

• Grizzlies: --
• Rockets: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #56 Mark Ayotte, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 12525
• Duration: 2:23