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Kyle Lowry scored 24 points but the Houston Rockets dropped the final game of their six-game road trip 93-83 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Houston has had a tough time controlling Rudy Gay and find themselves trailing the Grizzlies 52-43 at halftime in Memphis.
The Rockets hit 41 percent of their shots in the first half but turned the ball over eight times leading to 14 points for the Grizzlies. Courtney Lee, Chandler Parsons and Samuel Dalembert all scored nine points in the first half. Dalembert also grabbed a team high seven rebounds. Leading scorer Kevin Martin was held scoreless in the first half.
Rudy Gay came out of the gate firing and leads all scorers at halftime with 16 points on 7-11 shooting. Mike Conley hit 2-3 shots from beyond-the-arc and has 12 points at the intermission. Marreese Speights added eight points and five rebounds in the first half.
Memphis took advantage of Houston's miscues in the first half by turning them into high percentage looks. The Grizzlies shot 52 percent in the first half and the Rockets are going to have to do a much better job of taking care of the basketball in the second half if they hope to make a comeback.
For more on the Rockets, head over to The Dream Shake while Straight Outta Vancouver has you covered for everything you need to know about the Grizzlies.
At 16-12, the Houston Rockets are only three games behind the second place San Antonio Spurs in the West.
However, they're also only two games ahead of the tenth place Memphis Grizzlies, as they are in the middle of a huge pack of Western teams battling for playoff positioning behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That's why their road game at Memphis Tuesday night is so important, as the Rockets could put some distance between them and one of the teams they'll be battling with for a playoff spot the rest of the season.
The Grizzlies, who have been without star PF Zach Randolph for the last month, have stayed afloat thanks to the strong play of first-time All-Star C Marc Gasol as well as SF Rudy Gay, the team's top two scorers in Randolph's absence.
Houston will need a strong game defensively from C Sam Dalembert while figuring out a way to match up with the 6'8 Gay, who is bigger and more athletic than the Rockets wing players.
Offensively, Kevin Martin will have his hands full with Tony Allen, an All-Defensive Team SG widely considered the NBA's best perimeter stopper, which means they'll be counting on Kyle Lowry, who should be motivated coming off his snub from the All-Star Game this season, to not only score but create shots for his teammates.
The 7:00 PM game will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Net Houston.
For more on the Rockets, head over to The Dream Shake while Straight Outta Vancouver has you covered for everything you need to know about the Grizzlies.
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Rockets Vs. Grizzlies Final Score: Houston Falls In Memphis 93-83
The Houston Rockets closed out their six-game road trip with a 93-83 loss in Memphis to the Grizzlies. Memphis took control early leading 52-43 at halftime. Houston grinded things out in the second half but never could get close enough to really threaten for the lead.
Kyle Lowry had a big second half and finished with 24 points and six assists to lead the Rockets. Courtney Lee added 13 points and Goran Dragic 11 off the bench for Houston. The Rockets struggled with turnovers throughout the game totaling 18 which led to 23 points for the Grizzlies.
Mike Conley scored a team-high 21 points for the Grizzlies while Rudy Gay added 20 and eight rebounds. Marc Gasol finished with 18 points and seven boards while Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo finished with 10 each.
Houston falls to 16-13 on the season and sees its three-game winning streak snapped. Memphis improves to 15-14 overall and 10-5 at home.
For more on the Rockets, head over to The Dream Shake while Straight Outta Vancouverhas you covered for everything you need to know about the Grizzlies.For more NBA news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.
Feb 14 9:37p by Kris Willis