The Houston Rockets will be looking to notch up their first win of the 2024-25 NBA season this weekend when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center on Saturday.
Houston got the new season started with a 110-105 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, while Memphis picked up an opening-match victory over the Utah Jazz.
Match preview
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The Houston Rockets' first match of the new season proved to be a rollercoaster of game, as they found themselves with an 11-point lead at halftime but squandered it in the second half to lose by five.
Sloppy play and a cold shooting performance saw Charlotte outscore the Rockets 61-45 in the second half, with the hosts making just 15 of 45 attempts in that period, good for just 33% from the field.
Jalen Green led Houston with 28 points, Alperen Sengun contributed 25 points and 18 rebounds, Fred VanVleet added 14 points and six assists, and Amen Thompson provided 13 points off the bench in the defeat.
We also got the chance to take a proper first look at Reed Sheppard, who officially made his NBA debut, and while his stats were not particularly impressive - four points, three assists, and two rebounds - he did have a few excellent moments, including a stunning cross-court bounce pass to VanVleet in the first half.
Still, despite some positives, the Rockets let a winnable game slip away and they seem to still be struggling to close out games, which is something that Ime Udoka will have to address ahead of their next matchup.
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Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies held off the Utah Jazz in their season-opener, with Santi Aldama putting up 27 points, one shy of equalling his career-high, while Desmond Bane added 24 points.
Notably, Memphis dominated the Jazz from the perimeter throughout the game, with Aldama (5-of-10), Bane and Jay Huff accounting for 12 of the Grizzlies' 17 three-pointers in the match.
The star of the show, though, was Ja Morant, who posted a double-double, dropping 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in his first match since a shoulder injury ended his 2023-24 season back in January.
In true Morant fashion, he saved his best for last - with 44 seconds on the clock and the Grizz up by three, the All-Star hit a stunning layup against seven-foot Walker Kessler with his left hand to put the game away and get his team up and running for the new season.
The result also marked Memphis's first win in a season opener on the road in the franchise's history and will give them massive confidence heading to Houston on Saturday morning.
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Team News
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Steven Adams, who missed the majority of last season with a leg injury, sat out the Rockets' opening match of the season and his participation this weekend is questionable.
Thankfully for Houston, Adams' absence was not felt too heavily given the performance of Sengun, who should start again this weekend, with Jock Landale serving as the backup option on the bench.
The Grizzles had as many as five players listed on their injury report ahead of their first match of the season, including all of Jaren Jackson Jr., GG Jackson, Luke Kennard, Cam Spencer, and Vince Williams Jr.
Jackson Jr has been tipped to have a big season for the Grizz and Taylor Jenkins revealed after his side's first victory of the campaign that the power forward is likely to return for Memphis's first home game on Sunday.
Houston Rockets possible starting five:
Smith Jr, Brooks, Sengun, VanVleet, Green
Memphis Grizzlies possible starting five:
Aldama, Smart, Edey, Morant, Bane
We say: Memphis to win by 2+ points
Houston struggled to close out games from winning positions far too often last season and we saw that very same issue in their opening match against the Hornets where they let an 11-point halftime lead slip to lose by five in the end.
While the Grizzlies also let a substantial lead evaporate in their season opener, their ability to come up with big plays at crucial moments proved to be the deciding factor, and that could be the case in this one as well.
Devesh Jaganath
