Key Stat of the Night
- Mike Conley scored 14 points and handed out seven assists. All of Conley’s points came in the second half.
Game Recap
James Harden scored 57 points for the Houston Rockets as the Memphis Grizzlies fell 112-94 on Monday night in Toyota Center. The Grizzlies dropped to 19-24 on the season and 8-15 on the road. The Rockets improved to 25-17 overall and have won nine of their last 10 games.
Memphis committed a season-high 24 turnovers, allowing 27 points off them. The Grizzlies’ previous high was 21 at San Antonio on Jan. 5. Houston committed 14 turnovers in the game, leading to 19 points for Memphis.
Mike Conley scored 14 points and handed out seven assists. All of Conley’s points came in the second half. Garrett Temple also finished with 14 points (4-6 3P), cracking double figures for the 21st time this year. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 points and a game-high three blocks. Jackson Jr. has scored 12 or more points in seven consecutive games, the longest double-digit scoring streak of his career. Omri Casspi also had 12 points and a couple steals off the bench. Casspi has reached double-digits for the sixth time this season and the first time since Dec. 17 at Golden State. Shelvin Mack chipped in with 10 points and seven assists. Jevon Carter finished with eight points (2-4 3P) and two assists in his first career start.
The Grizzlies outshot the Rockets in the game, making 36-of-71 (.507) shots compared to 37-of-84 (.440) by Houston. The Rockets made eight more three-pointers however, going 18-for-48 (.375) while the Grizzlies were 10-for-22 (.455). Memphis struggled at the free throw line, going 12-for-22 (.545) while Houston was 20-for-22 (.909) at the stripe. The Grizzlies outrebounded the Rockets (43-36), but Houston had more second chance points (14-10).
Harden set a new season-high, and has now scored at least 30 points in 17 consecutive games, surpassing Kobe Bryant for the most in NBA history. Harden has also now reached 50 points three times this season. Danuel House Jr. finished with 15 points. Austin Rivers finished with 14 points off the bench, scoring 8 of them in the third quarter.
The Grizzlies improved from their third quarter, going 10-for-19 (.526) from the field in the fourth, but only made one three-pointer in the period. Memphis also outscored Houston 18-8 in the paint during the final quarter, but couldn’t overcome the 17-point deficit they began the quarter with. The Rockets made 13-of-28 (.464) three-pointers throughout the second half.
Houston found their shooting stroke coming out of halftime, connecting on 11-of-21 (9-16 3P) shots. Memphis shot efficiently, 8-of-19 (3-7 3P), but continued to mishandle the ball by turning it over seven times in the period. Rockets used an 11-0 run from 5:12 to 3:17 in the quarter to build a lead 87-70 at the end of the third.
The Rockets shot just 5-for-20 (.250) from long range in the first half, and 18-for-45 (.400) overall. The Grizzlies made 6-of-10 (.600) threes and 18-of-33 (.545) total shots. The Grizzlies assisted on 16 of their 18 field goals in the half, but also committed 15 turnovers - the most in a half this year - which led to 14 points for Houston. Harden already had 36 points by halftime, but no other Rocket scored more than seven points in the first half. Houston made all 13 free throws, while Memphis was 6-for-13 (.462), to help lead 54-48 at the break
The Grizzlies started the game hot, making 5-of-9 (.611) threes in the first quarter, with Carter and Temple each hitting a pair, and shooting 11-of-18 (.611) from the field. Memphis assisted on nine of their 11 baskets, but committed six turnovers during the quarter. The Rockets struggled, going 3-for-10 (.300) from three and 8-for-22 (.364) from the field, but Harden scored 15 points in the quarter. The teams traded leads seven times, but the Grizzlies went on a 10-0 run that lasted 2:08 to help lead 29-24 at the end of the first.
Harden continued to lead the Houston offense in the second quarter, scoring 21 of the team’s 30 points in the period. The Grizzlies shot well enough in the quarter, going 7-for-15 (.467), but turned the ball over eight times, tying a season-high. The Rockets scored 12 points off those Grizzlies miscues, while committing four turnovers and conceding four points of their own.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will return home to try to sweep the season series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, January 16 at 7 p.m. CT in FedExForum 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, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Mike Conley scored 14 points and handed out seven assists. All of Conley’s points came in the second half.
- Garrett Temple also finished with 14 points (4-6 3P), cracking double figures for the 21st time this year.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 points and a game-high three blocks. Jackson Jr. has scored 12 or more points in seven consecutive games, the longest double-digit scoring streak of his career.
- Omri Casspi also had 12 points and a couple steals off the bench. Casspi has reached double-digits for the sixth time this season and the first time since Dec. 17 at Golden State.
- Shelvin Mack chipped in with 10 points and seven assists.
- Jevon Carter finished with eight points (2-4 3P) and two assists in his first career start.
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