It was March 6, 2022, when Houston’s young backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green had one of its best combined performances yet as the Rockets stunned Memphis at Toyota Center.
Now, as Ja Morant and the Grizzlies — who currently own the second-best record in the Western Conference — head back almost a year later, can the rebuilding Rockets defy the odds again? It’s a game in which Porter expects to finally return from a left foot injury.
This will be the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, with the Grizzlies coming off a home win over the Lakers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Rockets lost their 10th straight game in a 133-112 setback to the Denver Nuggets, who have the West’s top record.
The Grizzlies and Rockets combined for 251 points in their only prior meeting this season, a seven-point win for Memphis on Oct. 22. With some potentially tired legs on night two of a back-to-back, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the defensive performances aren’t ideal.