SportsMall previews Saturday's NBA matchup between the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, including predictions, team news and form guides.
He Houston Rockets They will get their first victory of the 2024-25 NBA season this weekend. Memphis Grizzlies Saturday at the Toyota Center.
Houston opened the season with a 110-105 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, while Memphis earned a win in its season opener against the Utah Jazz.
Competition Preview
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The Houston Rockets' first game of the new season turned out to be a rollercoaster ride, as they took an 11-point lead into halftime, but trailed by 5 in the second half.
Sloppy play and a cold shooting performance outscored the Charlotte Rockets 61-45 in the second half, as the hosts made just 15 of 45 attempts in the period, just 33% from the field.
Jalen Green led Houston with 28 points, Alberon Sengun contributed 25 points and 18 rebounds, Fred VanVleet added 14 points and six assists and Amen Thompson contributed 13 points off the bench in the loss.
We also got the chance to see Reed Shepard make his official NBA debut and while his stats weren't particularly impressive (four points, three assists and two rebounds), he had some great moments. A wonderful cross-field pass to Fred VanVleet in the first half.
However, despite some positives, the Rockets have lost a winning streak and still appear to be struggling to close out games, something Ime Udoka will need to address before their next matchup.
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Meanwhile, as the Memphis Grizzlies held off the Utah Jazz in their season opener, Sandy Altama scored 27 points, one shy of matching her career high, while Desmond Payne added 24 points.
In particular, Memphis dominated the Jazz throughout the game, with Altama (5 of 10), Desmond Payne and Jay Huff accounting for 12 of the Grizzlies' 17 three-pointers in the contest.
The star of the show was Ja Morant, who recorded a double-double with 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in his debut since a shoulder injury in January ended the 2023-24 season.
In true Morant style, he saved the best for last: with 44 seconds left and the Grizz up by three, seven-foot-tall All-Star Walker Kessler ended the game with his left hand. Your team is running for the new season.
The result marked Memphis' first win in a season opener in franchise history and will give them tremendous confidence heading into Houston on Saturday morning.
Houston Rockets Format:
Memphis Grizzlies Format:
Group messages
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Steven Adams, who missed most of last season with a foot injury, missed the Rockets' season opener and is questionable for this weekend.
Fortunately for Houston, Adams' absence was not felt too much by Sengun's performance again this weekend, with Jack Lawndale serving as a backup option off the bench.
The Grizzlies had five players listed on the injury report before the season opener, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Gigi Jackson, Luke Kennard, Cam Spencer and Vince Williams Jr.
Jackson Jr is expected to have a big season for the Grays and Taylor Jenkins revealed the power forward could return for Memphis' home opener on Sunday after his team's first win of the campaign.
Five possible first Houston Rockets:
Smith Jr., Brooks, Sengun, VanVleet, Green
The Memphis Grizzlies could start at five:
Altama, Smart, Eddy, Morant, Bane
We say: Memphis needs to win by 2+ points
Houston often had trouble closing out games from winning positions last season, and we saw the same problem in their opener against the Jazz, where they let an 11-point halftime lead fall to five at the end.
While the Grizzlies let a sizable lead evaporate in the season opener, their ability to make big plays in crucial moments proved to be the deciding factor, and the same could be the case here.
