Rockets Grab Crucial Win over Grizzlies

Houston was able to nab a much-needed win over Memphis on Thursday night.

Jan 9, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff (30) defends during the second quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

On Thursday night, the white-hot Houston Rockets took on the Memphis Grizzlies in one of its more crucial games of the entire season.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2024-25 season, the Rockets currently stand as the league’s outright No. 2 seed in the West, which the team earned with a 25-12 start. Against Memphis, it needed to defend that very standing. 

Luckily for the away team, a few of its stars found an efficient streak, coming away with a 119-115 win behind nice offensive outings from Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green.

The Turkish center was the top scorer in the game, scoring 32 points on 12-for-20 shooting, nabbing 14 rebounds, five assists and a block, too. Green followed closely behind with 27 points on over 50% shooting overall and from three, and VanVleet add 22 with eight makes and five misses.

In total, the team shot just 43% overall, largely carried by its efficient trio.

After three losses in a four-game stretch last week, Houston has now course-corrected to three-straight wins, with the Memphis victory both defending it’s No. 2 standing and coming with an added bonus.

While the Rockets now hold a 1.5-game lead over the Grizzlies, it certainly hasn’t fended its Western Conference foe off for the last time. And Thursday’s win helped Houston grab a 2-0 head-to-head lead, which will undoubtedly come into play as the postseason nears.

The Rockets next take on Atlanta on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.