Grizzlies at Rockets
James Harden kept alive one of the best scoring streaks in NBA history Sunday in Orlando, but his inability to hit from the perimeter led to a rare loss for the Houston Rockets. The reigning MVP will attempt to find the range once again Monday when the Rockets begin a three-game homestand against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Harden was a woeful 1-for-17 from 3-point range - including a series of misses down the stretch as the Magic closed on a 20-6 run - in the 116-109 loss, just the fourth setback in Houston's last 17 games. "You can't rely on (Harden) being a superhuman every night," coach Mike D'Antoni told the media of his star guard, who tied Kobe Bryant (16) for the most consecutive 30-point games since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964. "We got to have some contributions from some other guys. I just thought they came in with a lack of focus, especially on the defensive end, but it carried over to the offensive end. We just didn't play well." The Grizzlies are in the midst of a challenging stretch that will see them follow up the trip to Houston with a home game against Milwaukee and then visits to Boston and Toronto. They snapped a six-game slide with an impressive win over San Antonio on Wednesday before falling 112-108 at Miami on Saturday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), AT&T Sportsnet Southwest (Houston)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (19-23): JaMychal Green led the way in Saturday's loss with 24 points and 11 rebounds in only 22 minutes off the bench, his third double-digit effort on the boards in a span of four games. The 28-year-old's role may increase after starting forward Kyle Anderson, who scored 20 points in a New Year's Eve loss at Houston, was lost to a sprained ankle. Green is averaging 15 points and six rebounds in 22.5 minutes in two games against the Rockets this season, making all three of his 3-point attempts and shooting 76.9 percent overall.
ABOUT THE ROCKETS (24-18): Making his seventh straight start while fellow guards Chris Paul and Eric Gordon are sidelined, Austin Rivers scored a season-high 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting Sunday. Center Clint Capela chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds for his 29th double-double, and the 24-year-old is averaging 21.2 points and 13 boards this month. Four reserves combined for seven points on 2-of-9 shooting in the loss to the Magic.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Harden recorded a triple-double in both of the previous matchups with Memphis, averaging 37.5 points, 11.5 assists and 11 rebounds in two Houston wins.
2. Grizzlies PG Mike Conley is averaging 22.2 points while making 46.4 percent of his 3-pointers over the last five games.
3. Rockets SF Danuel House Jr. has back-to-back 14-point outings while hitting 7-of-14 from 3-point range.