Grizzlies at Rockets
Only fatigue seems to slow James Harden and the Houston Rockets, who had a nine-game winning streak come to an end on the second night of a back-to-back at Minnesota on Wednesday. The Rockets will get a day off to get their legs back under them before returning home to host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Harden is throwing up historic stat lines and became the fourth player in NBA history to post back-to-back 40-point triple-doubles in wins over Toronto and Charlotte before "slumping" to 33 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in the 119-105 loss at Minnesota. The 27-year-old logged 38 minutes against Charlotte on Tuesday and 39 against the Timberwolves, and the fatigue could be seen in his 2-of-11 effort from 3-point range in Minnesota. The Grizzlies just saw one MVP candidate point guard in Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and did not do a great job defending him in a 103-95 loss at the Thunder on Wednesday. Westbrook posted a triple-double as Memphis fell to 10-10 on the road with losses in five of the last seven away from home.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), ROOT (Houston)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (24-17): Memphis point guard Mike Conley has the misfortune of trying to guard Westbrook and Harden in back-to-back games but is holding his own on the other end of the floor and finished with 22 points on Wednesday to score 20 or more for the fourth time in six games. Conley is beginning to get some scoring help on the wing from small forward Chandler Parsons, who played in his third straight game on Wednesday and scored a season-high 14 points. Parsons has played in only 15 games due to knee problems and remains on a minutes restriction but is 14-of-23 from the floor in the last three contests.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (31-10): Houston owns the third-best record in the Western Conference at the midpoint of its season and was ready to brush aside the rare loss at Minnesota. "They just didn't have the energy," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters after Wednesday's setback. "Nights will be like that and the good thing about ending a streak is we can start another one. We'll start with Memphis on Friday and try to get back there." The Rockets own two winning streaks this season of at least nine games and have a chance to start another with games at struggling Brooklyn and Miami after finishing up with Memphis.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Grizzlies PF Deyonta Davis (foot) sat out the last 15 games but returned to practice on Tuesday and could be available Friday.
2. Rockets SG Eric Gordon (toe) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.
3. Houston's last loss prior to Wednesday was a 115-109 setback at Memphis on Dec. 23.