Amen Thompson delivered a crucial 12-point outburst in the fourth quarter to lead the Houston Rockets (26-12) to a 119-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Thompson, who finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks, insisted he was the beneficiary of Jalen Green's "gravity" on offense. Green tied his career high with 42 points and commanded so much attention from the Memphis defense that Thompson repeatedly found himself open for easy buckets.
"They sent two at Jalen," Thompson said postgame. "It's really up to the back line at that point. That's Jalen's gravity." The win is Houston's third over the Grizzlies this season, securing a head-to-head tiebreaker in Western Conference standings.
Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins praised Green's shot-making under pressure, saying, "We threw different things at him, tried to force him to playmake. He did a good job of that. You've got to tip your cap. He had a heck of a night." Meanwhile, Green credited Thompson's defensive intensity for allowing him to conserve energy on offense.
Houston, riding a four-game win streak, travels next to Denver to face the Nuggets (23-15) on Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. Central.