Grizzlies at Rockets
The Houston Rockets, armed with the philosophy to shoot 3-pointers and ask questions later, try to keep their juggernaut rolling when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Houston set a franchise record by scoring at least 100 points in its 48th straight game in Wednesday's 122-103 thrashing of the Clippers in Los Angeles, and also became the first team in NBA history with nine games of 20 or more 3-pointers in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"It's fun basketball when you trust the next guy to give up the shot and make the right play to get the open look," Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, who scored 23 points with a team-high six 3-pointers Wednesday, told reporters. Houston, which won seven of its last nine contests, trails San Antonio by five games in the Southwest Division but leads Utah by five for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference behind the Spurs and No. 1 Golden State. Memphis, which sits sixth in the West, began a two-game trip through Texas with a 104-100 loss to Dallas on Friday despite 30 points from Mike Conley, who is averaging 30 over his last three games. The Grizzlies won the first two meetings this season before Houston prevailed 119-95 in Memphis on Jan. 21 behind a career-high 30 points from Sam Dekker, who averaged seven points in 15 games since.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), ROOT Sports (Houston)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (36-26): Zach Randolph (14.5 points, 8.3 rebounds) recorded 24 points and 10 rebounds Friday for his 15th double-double of the season and second in the last three games, and is averaging 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in his last five contests. Marc Gasol averaged 25.5 points and shot 19-for-33 from the field in the two games prior to Friday, when he scored 13 and was 6-for-18 from the floor. Starting forward Chandler Parsons continues to have his minutes restricted, recording seven points and four rebounds in 24 minutes Friday, and is averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 19.6 minutes as he continues to deal with knee issues.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (43-19): Not that it needed one, but the acquisiton of guard Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers gave Houston another offensive weapon as he's averaging 19.3 points and 25.3 minutes in four games off the bench with the Rockets. James Harden continued his best all-around season as the seventh-year guard recorded 26 points and nine assists Wednesday to bring his season averages to 28.8 points (third in NBA), and career highs of a league-best 11.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds. Anderson (14.1 points) averaged 16.7 over his last seven games and is 25-for-59 from 3-point range during that span to raise his percentage to 40.5.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden (197) and Houston SG Eric Gordon (196) are second and third in the NBA in made 3-pointers, well behind Golden State's Stephen Curry (235).
2. Memphis is 10-3 in the second contest of back-to-back games this season, winning the first eight, losing the next three and winning the last two - both on the road.
3. If the Rockets prevail, it will mark the fourth straight season the teams split the regular-season series 2-2.