On Monday, January 26, the Houston Rockets (27-16) are back home to face the Memphis Grizzlies (18-25) at Toyota Center after splitting back-to-backs in Philadelphia and Detroit last week.
The Grizzlies match against the Denver Nuggets has been postponed, so they walk into Toyota Center rested, but coming off a brutal home loss to the worst team in the league, the New Orleans Pelicans.
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For much Friday night, the Grizzlies hung around- there were 17 lead changes in total before a fourth-quarter 19-point Saddiq Bey surge that put them to bed. The Grizzlies were outscored 40-26 in the final frame after blowing a thirteen point lead over the Pelicans.
There were a couple of key issues for Memphis that led to their final-frame demise, and it wasn’t just that Bey couldn’t miss. The Grizzlies went into the fourth leading 101-93. Fouling quickly became uncontrolled, and they sent Trey Murphy and team to the line over and over, gifting New Orleans an extra 13 free points to close the gap.
Their persistent issue this season has been ball-security. Like the Rockets, the Grizzlies rank in the highest ten in TPG with a 15.5 per game average. Friday night, they turned the ball over 19 times, resulting in 27 easy notches on the scoreboard for the Pels.
The Grizzlies rank fifth in defensive rebounding, so controlling the glass will be key for the Rockets, as they like to live off of second-chances and extra possessions. Despite some recent execution slips, Houston still holds the crown for offensive rebounding and total rebounding across the league.
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The Rockets split back-to-backs on the road this week, falling to the 76ers in overtime on Thursday and beating the Pistons in Detroit on Friday.
In Philadelphia, much like the Grizzlies loss to the Pelicans, the Rockets let victory fall through the cracks. Houston left empty-handed because they failed in execution- not in offensive or defensive performance necessarily, but due to sloppy ball-handling and a staggering 12 missed opportunities at the free throw line. Unnecessary fouling kept allotting the Sixers free throws, and their mistakes buried them.
A 36-point night from Kevin Durant plus a late Reed Sheppard surge weren’t enough to undo earlier damage. Overtime only magnified the issues, and the night ended with a disappointing 128-122 loss.
In Detroit, Houston course-corrected. Durant anchored the offense again, but not because they needed saving. The Rockets took care of the ball, cashed in on free throw opportunities, controlled the glass, and steadied when the Pistons made the game uncomfortable. In 24 hours, they flipped the script and all that was needed was attention to the mundane. That’s telling. Houston got on the plane with a 111-104 road victory.
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Houston gets a chance to apply the lesson immediately. Both teams arrive with fresh scars from preventable losses, but the Rockets return home with proof of adjustment. Monday night isn’t about talent- it’s about who treats the margins with respect and finishes possessions when it matters.