Hotly contested throughout the first half, the teams went back and forth until a late 12-6 run put Houston up 11 at the break.
The Grizzlies got as close as 71-64 in the third, but a 24-14 run to end the quarter gave Houston a comfy lead heading into the fourth. And after a hot start to the final frame, the Rockets were eventually able to salt the game away with backups.
James Harden led all scorers with 31 points on just 13 field-goal attempts, while Jeremy Lin contributed 15 points and 11 assists. Despite those gaudy numbers, however, both teams exhibited impressive balance: Between Houston and Memphis, 12 different players scored in double figures.
Rudy Gay, however, was not one of those 12. The Grizzlies' leading scorer came up small in this one, scoring just six points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field. He exacerbated that problem by getting to the foul line all of zero times, driving timidly despite facing the league's 29th-ranke ...
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Article written by Brian Leigh