Houston Nips Memphis, 120-118, Wins Current Season Matchup
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 14 Jan 2025
Houston Rockets asserted their mastery of the Memphis Grizzlies this time winning by the narrowest of margin at home, 120-118.
With the win, their third over Memphis, the Rockets have also clinched their current season matchup with the Grizzlies. Most importantly, the Rockets maintained their second place position in the West behind the streaking OKC Thunder while keeping Memphis at bay at third.
Houston has previously beaten Memphis, 128-108 at home last October 25, 2024 and 119-115 in Memphis last January 9, 2025. The two will have a final meeting next week in Memphis.
The Rockets played catch up for most of this, even trailing by as much as 10 points as the Grizzlies employed a more balanced attack through Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson and Jaylen Wells. Meanwhile Houston's points production mostly came from Jalen Green and Amen Thompson with center Alperen Sengun pitching in from time to time.
Memphis led at halftime, 60-53 and continued on the driver's seat throughout the third quarter until the waning minutes of the last quarter.
But then Cam Whitnore, Dillon Brooks and Fred Van Fleet joined the fray and soon Houston started to catch up with Thompson's dunk cutting the lead to one, 104-105 and a Van Fleet triple finally giving the Rockets the lead, 107-105.
Morant tied the score 107-all and from then, it was nip and tuck with the two teams exchanging leads.
Houston eventually grabbed control with steady foul throw shooting that pushed the Rockets well ahead, 120-105. A triple by Bane pegged the final score at the buzzer.
Green had a night high 42 points for Houston. He was backed up by Thompson with 19 points and Sengun scored 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists as he outplayed his counterpart, Edey. Whitmore had 16 points while Van Fleet and Brooks added 9 points each.
Memphis was led by Morant with 27 points and Banes with 25 points.
Interestingly, Houston and Memphis share so many things in common that they could be considered as clone teams. Both did not make the playoffs last season. Both have rebuilt around tall, talented non-American centers- Turkish Alperen Sengun for the Rockets and Canadian Zach Edey for the Grizzlies.
The two teams have also progressed to their current positions through the employment of as many as seven core players each who could be relied to deliver consistently. Houston through painstakingly developing its corps of young players with veteran Fred Van Fleet providing steadiness and leadership. Memphis' resurgence meanwhile has been due to the return of its star player Ja Morant.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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