Grizzlies at Rockets
The Houston Rockets keep on rolling right along behind reigning MVP James Harden. Harden will try to post his fourth straight 40-plus outing and 10th consecutive 30-plus performance while leading the Rockets to a fifth win in a row when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Harden is averaging 40.6 points over the last nine games and added nine rebounds and six assists to his 41 points on Saturday to lead Houston to a 108-104 victory at New Orleans. "I just try to continue to be aggressive and have confidence in the shots and the things I do on the court," Harden told reporters of his recent surge. "There's no other way to put it." The Grizzlies were denied a third straight win in a 112-103 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday that marked the most points the team allowed since a 131-125 double overtime victory at Brooklyn on Nov. 30. Memphis squandered a 19-point, third-quarter lead in the setback and center Marc Gasol told reporters, "too many turnovers when we had the game under control that gave them a chance to get the lead."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (18-17): Mike Conley led Memphis with 26 points on Saturday but went 1-of-9 from 3-point range. "I feel like we come out with great energy, especially defensively," Conley told reporters. "We do what we're supposed to do, then shots don't fall for us and the other team starts making plays. I think we just get a little too complacent with the leads in games and guys become less aggressive. Guys just try to get the game over with as opposed to continually being aggressive, continuing to attack." The Grizzlies scored 39 points in the second half on Saturday in falling for the sixth time in eight games.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (20-15): Small forward Danuel House Jr. moved into the starting lineup against San Antonio on Dec. 22 and is quickly making himself comfortable with the first unit. House scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting on Saturday and is 13-of-23 over the last four contests. "More confident," Harden told reporters of House. "With the amount of minutes he's playing, coach has a lot of confidence in him and us as a group, we all have confidence him to go out there and defensively be active, get steals, rebound the basketball and then offensively just make shots and be active. He's been in the lineup the last few games and done an unbelievable job."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets SG Eric Gordon (knee) left Saturday's game and is day-to-day.
2. Grizzlies PF Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 16.2 points on 55.2 percent shooting over the last five games.
3. Houston took the last three in the series, including a 105-97 win at Memphis on Dec. 15 behind 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists from Harden.