Scoring only 34.4 percent from the field and committing 16 turnovers would typically lead to a disappointing evening. However, the Houston Rockets once again relied on their defense and rebounding to secure a victory on Monday.

The Rockets will attempt to extend their 11-game home-court winning streak on Wednesday as they face the Memphis Grizzlies. This follows their 93-82 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs, where they held their opponents to their lowest point total of the season, despite achieving their own lowest point total in seven years. Before Monday, Houston had lost 52 of its last 53 games when scoring fewer than 100 points.

This current version of the Rockets boasts the second-best defense in the NBA based on defensive rating, allowing 108.2 points per 100 possessions. This ability to stifle the opposition has proven to be crucial on nights when scoring becomes a challenge.

Additionally, the Rockets secured a plus-nine rebounding margin against the Spurs, marking the seventh time in the last nine games that Houston has outrebounded its opponent. They have improved to a 7-3 record in such games this season, with Tari Eason grabbing a career-high 14 boards off the bench, while Alperen Sengun, ranked 17th in the NBA in rebounding, matched his season average with nine.

Second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. has been instrumental in the Rockets’ recent advantage, averaging 10.9 rebounds over his last nine games.

“Just being more aggressive and going after it,” commented Rockets coach Ime Udoka regarding Smith’s performance. “He’s battling on the defensive end, but I think the offensive glass has been his focus. He’s on the perimeter a lot and guys don’t always turn to box out, and he’s had some free runs to the rim.”

The Grizzlies are eagerly awaiting the return of All-NBA guard Ja Morant from suspension, as they find themselves three games away from his comeback. However, questions linger regarding how much their postseason hopes have been affected in Morant’s absence.

Memphis suffered a 120-113 loss to the severely short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Monday, marking their second consecutive loss following a stretch of three victories over four games. Without Morant and with several key players sidelined due to injury, the Grizzlies have heavily relied on guard Desmond Bane and forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who are currently averaging a combined 45.6 points per game.

Against the Mavericks, Bane and Jackson Jr. scored 69 points on 26-of-49 shooting, while their nine teammates combined for a mere 15 of 40 from the field.

“We didn’t have many guys play well,” shared Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins. “There was a portion of the game here and there — second half was a little better — but we can’t just lean on Dez and J.J. We’ve all got to keep working and play better.”

Playing with the necessary intensity becomes challenging when missing essential members of the rotation. The inconsistent outcomes mentioned by Jenkins are evident to everyone, and the Grizzlies understand the effort required to regain positive momentum as they prepare for Morant’s return.

“You’ve just got to go hard,” expressed Jackson. “You saw in the game there were moments of life. You just need a lot more of those to sustain momentum and runs and make them call time out.”