Grizzlies at Rockets
The Houston Rockets are cruising along with wins in four straight games as their small ball lineup continues to take shape. The Rockets will try to make it five in a row when they host the struggling Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Houston star James Harden arrived 70 minutes prior to tipoff on Monday after flying back from Los Angeles, where he, Russell Westbrook and PJ Tucker had gone to attend Kobe Bryant's memorial, and he scored 31 of his 37 points in front of the half to lead the team to a 123-112 triumph over the New York Knicks. "Long, very, very emotional day," Harden told reporters. "...It was everything just to pay my respects. To show my condolences to the family. Obviously, it's a tough time for them, for the entire world, so it was a must that I be there and show my respects." Tucker logged 25 minutes in the win while Westbrook sat out with a sore left thumb as the Rockets once again operated without a center. The Grizzlies are trying to avoid a winless four-game road trip after coming out of the All-Star break with three straight setbacks, including a 124-97 drubbing at the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN, FS Southeast, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (28-29): Memphis sits in the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference - 2 1/2 games clear of ninth-place Portland entering play on Tuesday - but fell below .500 with Monday's loss and is looking for the spark that will turn things around. "We can't get too discouraged," guard De'Anthony Melton told reporters. "It is going to happen. Just like before this we went on a nice little winning streak. All it takes is one until you catch the wave. Losses suck but we can definitely learn from them." The Grizzlies will attack Houston with a pair of centers in starter Jonas Valanciunas and reserve Gorgui Dieng, who provided a bright spot with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench Monday.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (37-20): Westbrook, who scored 30 or more points in 13 of his last 16 games, is day-to-day with the thumb ailment while his replacement in the starting lineup on Monday - shooting guard Eric Gordon - is day-to-day as well after leaving the contest with a sore knee. Houston got some help off the bench against the Knicks from shooting guard Ben McLemore, who scored 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting while knocking down four 3-pointers in 29 minutes. McLemore is 13-of-19 from the floor in three games since the All-Star break, including 11-of-17 from beyond the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets G Austin Rivers scored 14 points on Monday and is 10-of-18 from the floor over the last three games.
2. Grizzlies SF Brandon Clarke (hip) left Monday's game and is day-to-day.
3. The teams split the first two meetings this season, with Memphis earning a 121-110 home victory in the most recent matchup on Jan. 14.