The Lead: After a poor performance Sunday night against the otherwise-reeling Utah Jazz, the Grizzlies rebounded tonight with a strong win over division rival Houston Rockets, securing at least a tie in a potentially crucial season series and moving to within half a game of getting back into the Western Conference playoff bracket.
The Grizzlies got a balanced effort, with five players in double figures, and swiftly overcame an early five-point deficit to take a lead midway through the first quarter that they never relinquished.
The lead topped out at 15 points early in the third quarter, but though the Rockets made some mini-runs after that, the Grizzlies never let them claw all the way back. The two times the Rockets seriously threatened, the Grizzlies responded with big three-pointers. An O.J. Mayo three-pointer stretched the lead back to 9 early in the fourth quarter after the Rockets had pulled to within 6 to start the quarter. Later, after his own bad-pass turnover was converted into a layup by Rockets (and former Griz) guard Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley responded with the biggest play of the game, hitting a straightaway three-pointer off a Dante Cunningham offensive rebound to push the lead back to 8 with 2:25 to play. On the ensuing Rockets possession, a Rudy Gay steal and long lead pass for a Mayo lay-up all but iced the game.
The Rockets went small in the second half to try to get back in the game, but while Lowry was effective getting to the rim (a game-high 24 points, including 9-9 from the line), the Rockets couldn’t get anything going from three-point range, hitting only 1-6 from beyond the arc in the second half.
“They went small and started to attack us off the dribble — but they didn’t hit threes,” Lionel Hollins said after the game. “When they really stretch us out is when they hit threes.”
