Grizzlies continue to roll, defeat Rockets

“We are responsible”, Brewer said of McHale’s dismissal. “We’ve got a spot for him”.

The Rockets responded with a 16-5 scoring barrage that allowed them to grab a 48-47 lead after Harden scored on a driving layup. According to a new rumor, which is still connected to the players only meeting, a tension is looming on the background within the Rockets’ roster. “I know we’re going through a tough time right now”. That’s 25 points per 100 possessions that the Rockets are outscored by when he is on the floor. “My job is to try to take a lot of pressure off of him”, said Canaan, who, with a team-best 36 three-point field goals, is capable of offering the Sixers a perimeter threat. They suffered a first defeat in four games last time out in Miami, but they have a chance to get revenge when they meet them again this week, sandwiched in between two winnable games against Orlando and Houston. Not saying Capela will become better than Howard, but if he can produce for the Rockets like he did against the New York Knicks Saturday night, Houston will still be a good team. It was the first of six straight points for Lee, a former Rocket, that pushed the lead to 88-79.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 12 in the first half, but Houston cut it to 56-53 at halftime.

It’s amusing how quickly perceptions change: Daryl Morey is no longer a genius, Kevin McHale was never a good head coach, the Houston Rockets look bad, and James Harden goes from MVP to the biggest problem on the team. We want those 3s. The Sixers were ahead by five points entering the fourth quarter, and then, after falling behind by seven points with just under five minutes to play, they stormed ahead, 87-84, with 51 seconds remaining. We’ve got to trust those shots. He didn’t get in enough positions to get the ball in the paint, though. We’re still just over 15 per cent of the way through the season and it’s the nature of the leagues that teams will suffer from these dips in form, but unrest in the locker room can often point to a strained relationship between players and coaches. Previous year they had a 30-11 record at home, but things have been so different at the Toyota Centre this time around. About the only excitement in the beginning of that quarter came when Dwight Howard and JaMychal Green got tangled up fighting for a rebound and pushed each other, drawing a technical foul for both players.

Bickerstaff stuck with Howard for a season-high 40 minutes, keeping Clint Capela, a second-year backup center with rising talent, on the bench for all but eight minutes. The Houston Rockets are averaging 32.5 threes per game but are shooting just 29.6 percent. That could continue with Patrick Beverley back.