The Houston Rockets survived a late surge to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-109 on Friday. The victory snaps a two-game skid for Houston and keeps them securely in the hunt for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Memphis is suffering through a catastrophic injury crisis. Ten players are currently sidelined. Franchise centerpieces Ja Morant and Zach Edey are both off the floor. This loss marks their fifth straight defeat and drops them to 24-48 overall.
Kevin Durant anchored the offense when it mattered most. He finished with 25 points and 10 assists. The Grizzlies refused to fold. Olivier-Maxence Prosper exploded for a career-high 31 points. He kept Memphis incredibly competitive. GG Jackson and Javon Small added 14 points each. The building got tense in the final period.
Memphis cut the deficit to 96-93 with roughly seven minutes left on the clock. That forced Houston to respond. Durant checked back into the game. The momentum flipped instantly. His return triggered a decisive 14-3 run for the Rockets. The surge pushed the lead to 110-96 and permanently put the game out of reach.
Houston dominated the glass. Jabari Smith Jr. delivered a massive double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Amen Thompson chipped in 18 points. It was a required physical effort. The sports landscape in the West leaves zero margin for error right now. Minnesota sits just ahead of them in the standings. Every single win counts.
Memphis is just trying to survive until the draft lottery. They have lost 13 of their last 14 games. The rotation is completely depleted. Houston moves to 43-29 on the season.