Rockets at Grizzlies
The Houston Rockets are suffering through their worst stretch of the season and it won’t get any easier as they open a five-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. The Rockets had not lost back-to-back games this season until last week and have dropped four of the last six overall after Friday’s 125-108 setback against red-hot Golden State.
James Harden, announced as an All-Star starter earlier in the day, was held to 17 points against the Warriors as Houston shot just 7-of-35 from 3-point range and was outscored 37-22 in the third quarter. The Rockets can avenge one of the losses during their slump against the Grizzlies, who shot 53.9 percent from the field to win 110-105 at Houston on Jan. 13. That was the only victory for Memphis during a brief 1-3 funk, but the Grizzlies were running on all cylinders in a 107-91 victory over Sacramento on Friday as they pulled away in the third period. “We got stops,” Memphis center Marc Gasol told FSN Southeast after scoring 28 points. “That’s the key. That’s what fuels us. That’s what builds trust. Everything starts on the defensive end.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (33-13): Houston came into Friday’s game averaging 14.8 made 3-pointers per game – two more than anyone else in the league – but struggled as leading scorers Harden and Eric Gordon missed all 12 of their attempts. Gordon has had a tough time shooting in two of the last three games (5-for-31), sandwiching a 25-point effort in the win over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Third-leading scorer Ryan Anderson grabbed one rebound and did not score in nine minutes Friday after missing two games because of illness and is not expected to play Saturday.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (26-19): Gasol found his 3-point stroke Friday while making 3-of-6, after shooting 18.5 percent from behind the arc over the previous 10 contests, and scored at least 24 for the third consecutive game. Zach Randolph posted his fifth double-double in the last seven games and point guard Michael Conley just missed a triple-double with 16 points, eight assists and eight rebounds against Sacramento. Tony Allen scored a season-high 22 points in the win over Houston earlier this month and the defensive specialist notched his fourth double-double of the season Friday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies are 8-2 in the second of back-to-back games this season, but have lost the last two.
2. Houston C Clint Capela scored a season-high 22 points Friday in his third game back after missing a month with a broken fibula.
3. Memphis G Troy Daniels suffered a right knee injury in the second quarter Friday and did not return.