The injury bug refuses to let go of the Houston Rockets, and with the first half of their season partly shaped by players who haven’t been available, victories against tough odds tend to feel more meaningful.
The Rockets’ 111-104 road win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday came in the second half of a back-to-back and with the Rockets missing three members of their primary rotation. Houston, which will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, knocked off the top team in the Eastern Conference with reserve center Stephen Adams (ankle) sidelined, and wings Tari Eason and Dorian Finney-Smith unavailable, as both remain on minutes restrictions from earlier injuries.
Following a disappointing overtime loss in Philadelphia on Thursday, the Rockets faced a tough challenge. Despite their struggles on the road and inconsistency in crunch-time moments, the Rockets showed the grit needed to end a five-game road losing streak despite missing several players.
“Nobody talked about the back-to-back or the fatigue or anything like that,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It was about coming out and playing solid basketball and getting that feeling from (the previous night) out of us.
“I think that was the goal, and we knew from the start that it was a little bit different with our physicality and attention to detail.”
There were tangible signs of progress from game to game as well. After committing eight turnovers in the loss to the 76ers, Kevin Durant scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds while playing 41 minutes without a turnover. Four others scored in double figures for Houston, including Alperen Sengun (19 points) and Reed Sheppard (18), contributing to an indefatigable effort.
Without Eason and Finney-Smith, Houston relied heavily on its starters, three of whom played over 37 minutes, and Jae’Sean Tate, who contributed 16 important minutes off the bench. The Rockets return home after winning 4 of 5 games, feeling that their issues are manageable.
The Grizzlies can’t say the same. Memphis’ 133-127 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday was their third defeat in four games. Their scheduled matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday was postponed because of inclement weather in Memphis.
Injuries have plagued the Grizzlies all season, with their frontcourt losses (Zach Edey and Brandon Clark) matching those in their backcourt (Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, and Scotty Pippen Jr.).
With many key players unavailable, the Grizzlies must play near-perfect basketball to win. Memphis fell short of that standard against the Pelicans, turning over the ball 19 times and giving up 18 offensive rebounds, which helped New Orleans control the possession battle.
“It is very difficult to win when the other team dominates the possession game,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “We know that we are short-handed, especially at the big spots, and we’ve got to come up with the rebounds and be a little bit more disruptive. But it really hurts when we’re throwing the ball away because those possessions also accumulate for the other team.
“They’re very valuable possessions … and it’s very difficult to make up.”
