Key Stat of the Night
- The Rockets outrebounded the Grizzlies 46-39
Game Recap
After trailing by as much as 24 points, the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Houston Rockets, 113-101, on Monday night in Toyota Center. The Grizzlies fell to 18-18 on the season and are now 8-11 on the road. The Rockets improved to 21-15 on the year.
Kyle Anderson led the Grizzlies with a season-high 20 points on 9-of-13 (.692) shooting to go with five assists and three steals. Mike Conley finished with 19 points, with 11 of them coming in the fourth quarter, six rebounds and five assists. JaMychal Green provided 17 points (3-3 3P) off the bench. Marc Gasol talled his 14th double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Gasol has now made a three-pointer in 12-straight games, matching a career-high. Garrett Temple ended with 10 points and a couple steals.
Memphis shot better than Houston overall in the game, going 38-for-82 (.463) from the field while the Rockets were 31-for-70 (.443), but the Rockets were highly effective from three-point range, making 18-of-41 (.439) threes while the Grizzlies were just 6-of-25 (.240). The Grizzlies outscored the Rockets 50-26 in the paint, but Houston had the advantage in second chance points by a count of 12-4.
James Harden finished with his fourth triple-double of the season with 43 points (6-12 3P), 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Harden has now scored 40+ points in four consecutive games, and has recorded a triple-double in both games against the Grizzlies this year. Clint Capela logged his 25th double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 boards. Gerald Green added 18 points off the bench on 6-of-11 (.545) three-point shooting. Danuel House Jr. chipped in with 16 points while Austin Rivers finished with 12 points.
Memphis continued to fight their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, with a Temple fastbreak dunk trimming the Houston lead to 110-101 with 1:26 remaining in the game. Houston however made 11-of-15 (.733) free throws in the period to protect the lead. The Grizzlies went 11-of-24 (.458) from the field, but only made 1-of-8 (.125) three-pointers throughout the fourth. Conley scored 11 points in the quarter, marking the seventh time he’s scored double-digits in the final quarter.
The third quarter was kinder to the Grizzlies, as they shot 15-for-21 (.714) in the period to outscore the Rockets 35-25. Houston shot only 6-for-17 (.353) in the quarter, but did make 4-of-10 (.400) threes. The Grizzlies outscored the Rockets 18-4 in the paint during the third. Memphis closed the quarter with a 9-0 run over the final 1:54 of the period to cut the deficit to 86-73.
The Grizzlies matched their season-low for first half points (38) on 12-for-37 (.324) shooting, including 3-for-11 (.273) from three-point range, with all three makes coming from Green. The Rockets shot 18-for-36 (.500) from the floor, and 12-for-23 (.522) from three, to lead 61-38 at halftime. Houston’s 12 treys were the most in a half by an opponent this year. Memphis turned the ball over seven times in the half while Houston had only four turnovers.
Houston opened the game hot from beyond the arc, making 7-for-14 (.50) threes in the first quarter, with four of them coming from Green. Memphis shot just 6-for-19 (.316) in the opening period. The Rockets went on a massive 21-3 run over a 5:10 stretch (8:15 to 3:05) midway through the first quarter to help build a 27-18 lead.
The Rockets continued to roll in the second quarter by making 9-of-15 (5-9 3P) baskets, while the Grizzlies were just 6-of-18 (1-5 3P). Harden exploded in the second quarter, scoring 20 points on 5-of-6 (3-4 3P) shooting in the quarter. The reigning NBA MVP made a 28-footer as time expired to put Houston up 61-38 at the break.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will kick off the new year with a home contest against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, January 2 at 7:00 p.m. CT in FedExForum. Come out to the game, tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN to follow the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2018-19 Season Tickets or 10-Game Flex Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Get the App
Download or Update the Official Grizzlies App
