Though they’ve suddenly lost three straight games, the Houston Rockets aren’t playing much worse than they were a week ago — when they owned an NBA-best winning streak of six games.
Much of the difference is simply circumstantial. The six-game winning streak all came within the friendly home confines of Toyota Center. The three-game skid, on the other hand, all came in California versus the Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers, and Golden State Warriors.
In the first two games of that road trip, the Rockets were tied in the game’s final 10 seconds before losing. In the finale, they only lost by five points. Thus, there are still ample reasons for optimism, particularly when considering that each of those three opponents features multiple future Hall of Famers on its 2023-24 roster.
On Wednesday, the schedule eases up for the Rockets (6-6) with a visit from Memphis (3-10). The Grizzlies lost Dillon Brooks to Houston in the offseason, and they’re still missing superstar guard Ja Morant due to a league suspension. As a result, it would seem to be an ideal opportunity on paper for the Rockets to get back to winning ways.
“You can see now they have no swagger,” Brooks said of his former team, via Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
“It’s like the girlfriend that you used to have,” Brooks added. “You don’t know how good she is until she’s gone.”
When and How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 22
- Time: 7 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (6-6)
- Guard: Fred VanVleet
- Guard: Jalen Green
- Forward: Dillon Brooks
- Forward: Jabari Smith Jr.
- Center: Alperen Sengun
Memphis Grizzlies (3-10)
- Guard: Desmond Bane
- Guard: John Konchar
- Forward: Santi Aldama
- Forward: Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Center: Bismack Biyombo
Projected lineups are based on each team’s latest game.
Injury reports
Houston’s Nov. 22 injury report lists Amen Thompson (right ankle sprain) and Victor Oladipo (left patellar tendon repair) as out.
Cam Whitmore, Jermaine Samuels Jr. and Nate Hinton were recently recalled to the Rockets after a brief stint with Houston’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.
For Wednesday’s game, the Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant (league suspension), Marcus Smart (left foot sprain), Steven Adams (right knee PCL surgery), Brandon Clarke (left Achilles tendon repair), Luke Kennard (left knee bone bruise), Xavier Tillman (left knee injury recovery), and Jake LaRavia (left eye abrasion).
Nov. 22 uniform choices
- Rockets: White City Edition
- Grizzlies: Blue Icon Edition
Latest interviews
#Rockets fall to the Warriors 121-116
Alperen Sengun 30 PTS / 13 REB / 5 AST@HoustonRockets on Space City Home Network pic.twitter.com/rHzGrzRsTt
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) November 21, 2023
