Houston Rockets (44-29) beat Memphis Grizzlies (24-49) 119-109 on the road on Friday, March 27, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets had the better start, winning the first 32-30 to lead by 2 after one. The Rockets kept the pressure on with a 24-19 second quarter, carrying a 7-point lead into halftime.
The Grizzlies won the third 33-31 to stay in front, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The Rockets took the fourth 32-27; the Rockets finished the job for a 119-109 regulation win.
What decided it
The Rockets grabbed 45.7% of their own misses, while the Grizzlies recovered 28%. The Rockets got more from their shots, finishing at 53.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 51.1% for the Grizzlies. The second chances kept adding up.
The Grizzlies did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.5 against 14.4. The Rockets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 123.1 points per 100 possessions to 112.7 for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 38-25.
Who made the difference
Olivier-Maxence Prosper was the game's biggest individual force for MEM: 31 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast on 12-15 shooting. His Game Score of 30.8 led everyone. His team was -4 with him on the floor.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 25 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast on 8-14 shooting, good for a 24.8 Game Score.
Cam Spencer (11 pts, 3 reb, 10 ast), Kevin Durant (25 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast), and Jabari Smith Jr. (21 pts, 16 reb, 4 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 63% for the Rockets.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Houston Rockets lead 5-1.
The Rockets are now 44-29, and the Grizzlies are 24-49. The Rockets last five before this game: L-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.