Rockets vs. Grizzlies Game of the Week

Before the NBA season kicked off in the fall, most agreed that the western conference was going to be a gauntlet compared to the east. There were so many good teams and star players up and down the standings.

However, like any season in any sport, there will always be overachievers. With that said, two of the biggest overachievers in the NBA so far this year will be squaring off Thursday night.

The Memphis Grizzlies came into the season hoping to recapture their success of two years ago. In that 2022-23 campaign, the Grizzlies won over 50 games and clinched the second seed in the west.

They did eventually lose in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers kickstarting a disaster of a 2023-24. Last year the Grizzlies finished 27-55, almost a direct flip of their record the season before.

Additionally, Memphis was ravaged with injuries and their star player Ja Morant had off the court issues. It seems as though they’ve ended that chapter as the Grizzlies are currently third in the west going into this matchup.

Thursday they’ll be playing host to the Houston Rockets who have come into their own this year. The Rockets will head into this game 32-14 on the year and the current second seed in the west.

Even last year when Memphis was struggling, it was still known that they had a talented roster capable of dominating when healthy. The Rockets have been a different story.

Houston hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2019-20 COVID season. In other words, this is the first time they have real relevance since James Harden left.

Two off seasons ago, the Rockets spent real money for the first time in a while bringing in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. These two veteran additions have helped to develop the young core they had been building over the past few seasons.

VanVleet brings plenty of playoff experience and has been the floor general for Houston. Brooks on the other hand, is a plus defender who provides some fire.

However, arguably the biggest reason for the Rockets success has been the emergence of Jalen Green. This season, Green is averaging over 21 points per game, building off the late season success he had last year.

At the moment, while both of these squads have come as shocks, they don't seem likely to slow down. Both teams have won four of their last five games heading into their matchup against each other.

So far, the Rockets are 3-0 against the Grizzlies this season. Their most recent duel was January 13th where Houston won 118-120. Jalen Green was the game’s leading scorer that night with 42.

Injuries could play a role in Thursday's game, though, as Houston could be missing two key big men. Jabari Smith is already listed as out, while Alperen Sengun is listed as a game time decision.

Sengun is averaging 19/10/5 this year and has become one of the league's most underrated players. He’s a center who’s become a great distributor to go along with his scoring and rebounding.

If he plays, the Rockets could sweep the Grizzlies tonight. If Memphis salvages this game, they’ll be within 0.5 games of Houston for the second seed.

Alex Harkins is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arh6278@psu.edu.