The Memphis Grizzlies held off the Houston Rockets for a 96-84 victory on Friday night at FedExForum.
With tonight’s win, the Grizzlies move to 7-6 in the regular season and extend a four game winning streak, while the Rockets move to 5-8 on their regular season slate.
Mike Conley led the way for the Grizzlies as he dropped 26 points, marking a season-high for the Grizzlies floor general. Off the bench, Matt Barnes tallied 12 points, while Mario Chalmers notched 10 points.
With an offensive rebound with less than two minutes to play in the game, Marc Gasol recorded the first triple-double of his career with 16 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. It is the Grizzlies first triple-double since his brother Pau Gasol did it in the 2007-08 season. It was the seventh triple-double in franchise history and the fourth since moving to Memphis.
The first half marked a solid start for the Grizzlies, who scored a season-high 59 points. Double-digit scoring from Gasol, Conley and Barnes helped Memphis go into halftime with a 59-45 advantage.
During the final frame, the Grizzlies held Houston without a field goal until 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. During that time, Memphis went on a 14-7 run to extend a nine-point lead after the third quarter to a 14-point lead and keep the Rockets at bay.
James Harden led Houston with 22 points, while Trevor Ariza notched 19 points. Dwight Howard contributed 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds on the night, which marked his third double-double of the season.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Grizzlies as the San Antonio Spurs welcome Memphis on the second night of a back-to-back. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. local time. Fans can catch the action on FOX Sports Southeast or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN. -- Rachel Noble, Grizzlies.com
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Player Notes
- Mike Conley set a season-high for himself with 26 points on a 10-for-17 clip (.588)… Conley was also efficient from beyond the arc, hitting half of his six three-pointers… The point guard continued to protect the ball well, with only two turnovers in the game… Over the past four games, Conley has an assist to turnover ratio of 30-4.
- Zach Randolph missed his first game of the season tonight with a sore knee… The power forward leads the team in double-doubles and averages 14.5 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game.
- Forward Matt Barnes finished with a season-high 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting… He was also big on the boards, pulling down seven rebounds and added a pair of assists.
- Rockets center Dwight Howard recorded his third double-double of the season… He scored 12 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.
- Although he cooled off a little from the field, Mario Chalmers helped spark the Grizzlies off the bench…His quickness led to three trips to the line, where he scored six of his 10 points… All three of his assists came in the final 2:57 of the first quarter, helping the Grizzlies overcome an early deficit to take a 23-19 lead at the end.
- In lieu of the injured Randolph, JaMychal Green made his second start in a Grizzlies uniform… He finished with five points and five rebounds in 23 minutes… Tonight also marked the debut of newly acquired James Ennis, who recorded his first rebound for the Grizz.
Next Home Game
Turn the clock back to the 1970's and celebrate Memphis Basketball history on Hardwood Classic Night as the Grizzlies take on the Spurs on Thursday, December 3. Plus, the first 5,000 fans will receive a Memphis Sounds Tacky Holiday Tee presented by First Tennesee Bank. Details.