The Houston Rockets successfully bagged their fifth straight victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night 124-109. That from-the-jump intensity Rockets fans missed on Monday against Dallas was back in full swing in Memphis. The rockets brought explosive energy into a strong first quarter and kept it going from tip to buzzer.
Josh Okogie set the tone immediately with a steal and a smooth layup right out the gate, and Alperen Şengün followed with back-to-back buckets from the field. Okogie was tough as always on defense, guarding the whole court, forcing turnovers, and racking up two personals off the bat. By the end of the first quarter, the Rockets had built a 34–22 lead and were already dictating pace on both ends.
The Rockets started the second quarter slow, allowing the Grizzlies to grab a few easy buckets, but Memphis’s momentum didn’t last. After a quick timeout, Houston locked back in and went on a 9-0 run and dominated the boards 27–19 by halftime.
Going into halftime, the scoring was completely balanced- every Rocket who hit the floor put points on the board. Thompson once again stood out with 18 first-half points, shooting 8-for-14 from the field. Memphis, on the other hand, had a tough time shooting in the first half altogether, going just 36.6-percent from the field and making just a third of attempts from deep.
The Grizzlies played overall aggressive defense, but guarding the Rockets is near impossible with so many shooting options constantly on the move. Memphis kept making the mistake of focusing on Kevin Durant and counting Okogie out, leaving him wide open to bury three straight triples in the third quarter, extending the Rockets lead to 21 (84-63). As a team, the Rockets went a flawless 6-of-6 from deep in that quarter alone.
Once Houston got far enough ahead, Memphis buckled under the pressure and just could not recover. Even when the Rockets slipped up, the Grizzlies just answered with a mistake of their own and turned the ball back to Houston, losing any chance to close the gap.
Houston is much more than Kevin Durant and a green roster- they’re a well-oiled machine. Seven Rockets put up double digits on the board on Wednesday night.
Şengün continued to own the glass and notched yet another double-double, with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. Thompson led the way, claiming a double-double of his own, recording 28 points, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists. Okogie stayed hot from deep, shooting 60-percent from the arc. From the bench, Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason combined for five threes.
Under Ime Udoka, Houston looks sharp, disciplined, and connected. The Rockets are utilizing their size advantage to control the glass- and sharing the ball like they have been makes them dangerously unpredictable. The pace, the chemistry, and the shared intensity is all clicking now- their offense is so fast and fluid that defenses can’t react before the ball is through the net.