From the Memphis side, Monday in Houston felt all too familiar. The Grizzlies controlled long stretches, led at halftime, and looked comfortable early. Then the Rockets tightened things up — and the game flipped.

Once Houston made its move late in the third, Memphis never really recovered. Alperen Şengün went right at the mismatches inside, and Kevin Durant hit the kind of shots that stop runs before they start. From there, the Rockets just stayed steady.

The Grizzlies played hard, won early hustle battles, and even with a same-day flight looked engaged. The problem was finishing — again. This is now seven straight games where Memphis has built a double-digit lead and walked away with only two wins.

Houston deserves credit. They didn’t panic, trusted their structure, and knew exactly where to go late. That composure showed.

For Memphis fans, it’s the same lingering question: how does this team turn strong first halves into full 48-minute games? Until that changes, nights like this against teams like the Rockets are going to keep ending the same way.

As for Rockets fans... What did you take from this game?