Posted 2/05 at 12:01 PM
The Grizzlies welcome the Houston Rockets for a Southwest Division showdown that could help to further define the pecking order in the best division in the NBA.
The Grizzlies are literally neck-and-neck with the Rockets right now in the Western Conference playoff race as both teams are currently 26-22. They’d be advised to take advantage of tonight’s matchup, as the Rockets are team that is poised to improve greatly as the trading deadline approaches. The Rockets have the assets to pull off a big trade that could improve their overall talent pool, meaning the Grizzlies will want to do everything they can to pick up a win in the current makeup of the Rockets. Not to slight the Rockets for what they have accomplished this season, but they have largely overachieved this season with a group of role players as Yao Ming has missed the entire year with an injury and Tracy McGrady with injury and differences with the team. Both teams have multiple players who can score in bunches, as the Grizzlies and Rockets are two of only four teams since the start of the 1995-96 season to have at least players average 15 or more points per game. While this shows the balance of the Rockets offensively, the Grizzlies take this to the next level as they are the only team in the NBA this season to have three players averaging at least 17.9 points per game (Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo).
Here are a few things to watch for in tonight’s contest…
Bounce back: The Grizzlies weathered what will probably be their toughest stretch of games last week by coming up with wins against Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers that have helped keep them in the hunt with two games to go before the All-Star break. The Grizzlies were flying high after their win over the Lakers but were unable to carry that momentum to Cleveland, as they suffered their first double digit loss since the first week of January. They’ll need to bounce back tonight and leave the loss in the rear view mirror in a very important matchup against the Rockets tonight. The Rockets steady effort night in and night out has caused a lot of problems for teams this season, but the Grizzlies have learned as the season has developed from Head Coach Lionel Hollins about bringing effort for 48 minutes every night. Expect this contest to have a playoff-like atmosphere, with both teams knowing the significance of the contest.
Matchup of the night: Zach Randolph built on his Memphis legend against the Lakers on Monday with his clutch plays down the stretch, and he is sure to have a few of his patented tip-baskets tonight against a small Rockets front line. Randolph has a bit of inspiration going into tonight’s game, knowing that his eight point performance against the Cavaliers on Tuesday was only his third contest this season that he failed to score in double figures and the first time since November. Expect Randolph to come out firing on all cylinders in front of the home crowd tonight. Scola won’t back down from Randolph but he lacks both the extreme length and athleticism that have caused Randolph problems at times on the blocks this season.
Stat of the night: The Grizzlies have overcome a 1-8 start to the season to become the surprise team in the NBA this season, but need to improve their performances against teams in the Southwest Division if they hope to continue to make noise as the season develops. At 2-5 against Southwest Division opponents the Grizzlies are one of only two teams (along with the Utah Jazz) with overall winning records in the Western Conference who have a losing record in their division. If the Grizzlies hope to continue to push forward and improve they will need to start winning games against teams in their own division. Tonight offers a great chance for them to get started against the Rockets.
Posted 2/05 at 12:01 PM
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