Four Consecutive Wins! Green Scores 42+5, Morant Makes 11 of 24 Shots, New Star Rises in Rockets, Grizzlies Suffer Third Defeat
By Lao Kan Kan Qiu | Edited by Lao Kan Kan Qiu
On January 14th, Beijing time, the NBA 2024-25 season regular season welcomes a key match in the Western Conference, with the Houston Rockets hosting the Memphis Grizzlies. This is the third confrontation between the two teams this season, and the previous two encounters were won by the Rockets, showing a clear advantage. Obviously, the Rockets are indeed strong this season, with the continuous rise of new stars within the team, which has raised the depth of the lineup to a new level. Currently, the team has a record of 25 wins and 12 losses, achieving a three-game winning streak, ranking second in the West, just behind the Thunder.
The reason for their impressive performance is closely related to their defense. The data shows that so far this season, the Rockets have an average of 107.1 points conceded and a defensive efficiency of 107.0, both ranking among the top three in the league. In contrast, the Grizzlies are also a dark horse in the West, currently with a record of 25 wins and 14 losses, ranking third in the West. Obviously, this is a crucial battle for positioning, and neither team wants to lose.
Before the game, American media ESPN also gave the latest win rate prediction for today's game, with the Rockets having a win rate as high as 51.1%, while the Grizzlies' win rate is only 48.9%. Obviously, American media is more optimistic about the Rockets being able to achieve a triple kill against the Grizzlies. In terms of the starting lineup for this game, on the Grizzlies side, GG Jackson, Smart, Spencer, and Little Vince Williams are absent, with Huff likely to play. The latest starting five are: Morant, Bane, Wells, Jackson, and Zach Iyie; on the Rockets side, Little Jabari Smith is absent, and Ethan is unlikely to play, with the starting lineup being: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun.
In the first quarter, Morant and Bane hit consecutive threes, giving the Grizzlies a 6-0 lead to start the game. Jalen Green scores with a layup after a drive, followed by Morant immediately responding with a difficult floater. Bane is intercepted, and Jalen Green makes a one-handed dunk after a fast break, reducing the Rockets' deficit to 1 point. Morant hits a three-pointer over Sengun's defense, already scoring 10 points in the first quarter with 5 out of 4 shots. Jalen Green hits a stable three-pointer from the top of the arc, also able to respond, currently 4 out of 4 for 9 points; these two really went head-to-head today. After Amen finishes a dunk with an alley-oop pass, Jalen Green drives again for a layup, giving the Rockets a 3-point lead. Little Jackson hits a corner three-pointer, and the Grizzlies respond with a 12-2 run to take a 7-point lead over the Rockets again.
In the second quarter, Whitmore steals and scores on a fast break, completing 3 steals after entering the game; A-Holiday hits a fast break three-pointer, and the Rockets reduce the gap to 4 points. Aldama steals and throws the ball high for a fast break, and Morant takes off for an alley-oop dunk, re-establishing the Grizzlies' 10-point lead. Whitmore hits a three-pointer and then completes a dunk on a fast break, already scoring 10 points off the bench; Jalen Green nearly dunks over Clark after cutting to receive the ball, drawing a foul, and then hits another three-pointer using Sengun's screen, leading a Rockets run to reduce the gap to 1 point again. Jalen Green hits a漂移跳投 for a 3+1 against two defenders, giving the Rockets the lead. Whitmore fails to handle the ball well and accidentally gets called for carrying the ball, and at halftime, the Rockets trail the Grizzlies 57-60 by 3 points.
At halftime, on the Rockets side, Jalen Green played 17 minutes, shooting 10 out of 8, including 3 out of 3 from beyond the arc and 3 out of 3 from the free throw line, scoring 22 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists; Whitmore shot 7 out of 4, scoring 10 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal; Amen Thompson scored 5 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. On the Grizzlies side, Morant shot 14 out of 6, making 2 out of 7 threes, scoring 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
In the third quarter, Sengun turns around to bypass Bane and drives into the paint, attempting to dunk over Little Jackson, drawing a foul. Bane grabs a rebound and pushes Dillion out of bounds, earning a technical foul. Morant drives and lays up over Amen, and Amen leaps high to block the shot, sending it flying. Jalen Green shakes off his defender and hits another three-pointer, reducing the Rockets' deficit to 1 point. Bane and Morant hit consecutive threes, followed by a 2+1, and the Grizzlies go on an 11-0 run to extend their lead to 12 points. Whitmore continues his hot hand, hitting a corner three-pointer and then a step-back three-pointer, and at the end of the third quarter, the Rockets trail by 5 points with a score of 87-92.
In the decisive fourth quarter, Morant drives and scores on a layup, drawing Sengun's fifth foul, and the Rockets challenge fails. Amen scores a fast break layup over Morant for a 2+1, reducing the Rockets' deficit to 9 points. Morant hits a Logo three-pointer, and Jalen Green responds with a 2+1 on a fast break. After Amen blocks Clark's layup attempt, Green hits another three-pointer, erasing the deficit. Green nearly dunks violently over Iyie on a drive, drawing Iyie's sixth foul and sending him off the court. Sengun scores with a hook shot over Little Jarell and draws a foul on a drive to the basket. Ultimately, the Rockets defeat the Grizzlies 120-118, securing their fourth consecutive win while completing a triple kill against the Grizzlies this season, solidifying their second-place ranking in the West.
For the whole game, on the Rockets side, Green shot 13 out of 18, scoring 42 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal; Sengun scored 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 6 turnovers; a new star rises in the Rockets, Amen Thompson, scoring 19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks; Whitmore scored 16 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. On the Grizzlies side, Morant shot 11 out of 24, scoring 29 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 7 turnovers; Little Jackson scored 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block; Bane scored 25 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers.