National Basketball Association
Houston 128, Memphis 108
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, October 25, 2024
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #65 Nate Green, #16 David Guthrie, #33 Sean Corbin
Attendance: 18055

Tari Eason scored 13 points off the bench and was central to a third-quarter surge that helped the Houston Rockets to a 128-108 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Eason nailed a pair of 3-pointers during a 22-2 run that turned Houston's nine-point deficit into a 98-83 lead entering the fourth. Jalen Green delivered a transition dunk for a 77-76 lead at the 5:27 mark, erasing what once was a 12-point deficit.

Green led seven Rockets in double figures with 22 points. Jabari Smith Jr. (14 points, 16 rebounds) and Alperen Sengun (16 points, 15 rebounds) recorded double-doubles for Houston while Dillon Brooks chipped in 18 points and Fred VanVleet added 16 points. Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson combined for 20 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Green also totaled six rebounds, four assists and three steals. He made 4 of 8 3-pointers.

Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 24 points while Desmond Bane added 17. Rookie Zach Edey had 13 points and nine rebounds. Memphis shot 14 for 46 following the intermission.

Both teams drilled six 3-pointers in the opening period. The Grizzlies erased an early five-point deficit and took a 29-27 lead at the 3:10 mark. Scotty Pippen Jr. kept the Grizzlies afloat after Bane picked up two fouls with 9:59 left in the first quarter. Pippen had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in the opening frame that ended in a 38-38 tie.

The Rockets cooled off drastically in the second, going nearly six minutes between field goals before a Green 3 cut the Grizzlies' lead to 53-45. Morant teamed with Bane to tally 27 first-half points that helped Memphis to a 65-59 halftime lead.

Houston went just 6-for-23 from the floor in the second. Every Houston reserve recorded a negative plus-minus in the first half, but that tide turned in the third quarter.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Memphis   Houston
Ja Morant 24 Scoring Jalen Green 22
Desmond Bane 4 Assists Jalen Green 4
Zach Edey 9 Rebounds Jabari Smith Jr. 16
Ja Morant 6 Free Throws Made Dillon Brooks 6
Desmond Bane 2 Steals Jalen Green 3
Santi Aldama 2 Blocks Jabari Smith Jr. 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Memphis 108 41.8 10-28 22-36 24 43 8 8 19
Houston 128 43.9 17-43 25-36 20 64 4 10 19
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Rockets have a W/L % of .000 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Memphis will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .000 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.