MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- — Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.

Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.

Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.

Takeaways

Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.

Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.

Key moment

With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.

Key stat

Houston is 19-3 when score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.

Up next

The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Alperen Sengun vs. Zach Edey (Jaren Jackson Jr. gains possession)	0	0
11:46	Amen Thompson shooting foul	0	0
11:46	Jaylen Wells makes free throw 1 of 2	1	0
11:46	Jaylen Wells makes free throw 2 of 2	2	0
11:32	Dillon Brooks makes dunk (Amen Thompson assists)	2	2
11:31	Dillon Brooks hanging techfoul	2	2
11:31	Desmond Bane makes technical free throw	3	2
11:19	Ja Morant makes 9-foot driving floating jump shot	5	2
11:05	Dillon Brooks misses 25-foot three point jumper	5	2
11:03	Jaylen Wells defensive rebound	5	2
10:56	Ja Morant misses driving floating jump shot	5	2
10:52	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	5	2
10:49	Jalen Green makes dunk (Fred VanVleet assists)	5	4
10:37	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 6-foot two point shot (Desmond Bane assists)	7	4
10:18	Jalen Green makes 2-foot two point shot	7	6
10:09	Zach Edey makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jaren Jackson Jr. assists)	10	6
9:56	Alperen Sengun makes 2-foot two point shot	10	8
9:56	Zach Edey shooting foul	10	8
9:56	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 1	10	9
9:44	Desmond Bane out of bounds bad pass turnover	10	9
9:38	Alperen Sengun makes 23-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	10	12
9:19	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes driving layup	12	12
9:00	Alperen Sengun makes 2-foot two point shot	12	14
9:00	Grizzlies Full timeout	12	14
8:50	Ja Morant makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	15	14
8:32	Amen Thompson makes finger roll layup (Jalen Green assists)	15	16
8:32	Zach Edey shooting foul	15	16
8:32	Jay Huff enters the game for Zach Edey	15	16
8:32	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 1	15	17
8:07	Jaylen Wells misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	15	17
8:03	Dillon Brooks defensive rebound	15	17
7:56	Alperen Sengun makes 3-foot two point shot (Dillon Brooks assists)	15	19
7:45	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 6-foot driving floating jump shot	17	19
7:31	Jalen Green misses 19-foot step back jumpshot	17	19
7:28	Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound	17	19
7:20	Ja Morant makes 3-foot two point shot (Desmond Bane assists)	19	19
6:59	Fred VanVleet makes 24-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	19	22
6:48	Jaren Jackson Jr. bad pass (Fred VanVleet steals)	19	22
6:44	Fred VanVleet makes two point shot	19	24
6:44	Desmond Bane shooting foul	19	24
6:44	Santi Aldama enters the game for Jaren Jackson Jr.	19	24
6:44	Fred VanVleet makes free throw 1 of 1	19	25
6:34	Desmond Bane lost ball turnover (Jalen Green steals)	19	25
6:30	Jalen Green makes two point shot	19	27
6:17	Jalen Green blocks Ja Morant 's 5-foot driving layup	19	27
6:14	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	19	27
6:11	Amen Thompson makes two point shot	19	29
6:11	Grizzlies Full timeout	19	29
6:11	Luke Kennard enters the game for Jaylen Wells	19	29
6:11	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Ja Morant	19	29
5:58	Luke Kennard misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	19	29
5:55	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	19	29
5:49	Alperen Sengun makes dunk (Amen Thompson assists)	19	31
5:41	Jay Huff makes driving dunk (Luke Kennard assists)	21	31
5:29	Alperen Sengun misses driving layup	21	31
5:28	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	21	31
5:28	Jay Huff shooting foul	21	31
5:28	Alperen Sengun misses free throw 1 of 2	21	31
5:28	Rockets offensive team rebound	21	31
5:28	Brandon Clarke enters the game for Jay Huff	21	31
5:28	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Amen Thompson	21	31
5:28	Alperen Sengun misses free throw 2 of 2	21	31
5:27	Grizzlies defensive team rebound	21	31
5:14	Santi Aldama misses two point shot	21	31
5:10	Jae'Sean Tate defensive rebound	21	31
5:01	Alperen Sengun makes driving layup (Jalen Green assists)	21	33
4:41	Brandon Clarke misses two point shot	21	33
4:41	Grizzlies offensive team rebound	21	33
4:41	Scotty Pippen Jr. enters the game for Desmond Bane	21	33
4:41	5 second violation	21	33
4:24	Dillon Brooks misses 23-foot three point jumper	21	33
4:21	Jake LaRavia defensive rebound	21	33
4:10	Santi Aldama misses driving floating jump shot	21	33
4:07	Brandon Clarke offensive rebound	21	33
4:07	Brandon Clarke makes tip shot	23	33
3:53	Jalen Green misses 28-foot three point jumper	23	33
3:51	Grizzlies defensive team rebound	23	33
3:44	Luke Kennard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)	26	33
3:24	Fred VanVleet misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	26	33
3:22	Rockets offensive team rebound	26	33
3:22	Brandon Clarke loose ball foul	26	33
3:22	Jae'Sean Tate misses free throw 1 of 2	26	33
3:22	Rockets offensive team rebound	26	33
3:22	Amen Thompson enters the game for Jalen Green	26	33
3:22	Cam Whitmore enters the game for Dillon Brooks	26	33
3:22	Jae'Sean Tate makes free throw 2 of 2	26	34
3:08	Brandon Clarke makes 8-foot two point shot (Scotty Pippen Jr. assists)	28	34
2:50	Jae'Sean Tate misses 23-foot three point jumper	28	34
2:50	Rockets offensive team rebound	28	34
2:50	Brandon Clarke loose ball foul	28	34
2:50	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 2	28	35
2:50	Jaren Jackson Jr. enters the game for Brandon Clarke	28	35
2:50	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	28	36
2:40	Santi Aldama misses 23-foot three point jumper	28	36
2:39	Rockets defensive team rebound	28	36
2:39	Steven Adams enters the game for Alperen Sengun	28	36
2:31	Jake LaRavia blocks Cam Whitmore 's 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	28	36
2:28	Steven Adams offensive rebound	28	36
2:25	Jaren Jackson Jr. blocks Cam Whitmore 's 6-foot layup	28	36
2:23	Steven Adams offensive rebound	28	36
2:18	Steven Adams vs. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Jake LaRavia gains possession)	28	36
2:18	Steven Adams lost ball turnover (Jaren Jackson Jr. steals)	28	36
2:10	Santi Aldama makes 25-foot three pointer (Jaren Jackson Jr. assists)	31	36
1:54	Scotty Pippen Jr. shooting foul	31	36
1:54	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	31	37
1:54	Amen Thompson makes free throw 2 of 2	31	38
1:43	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	31	38
1:43	Jalen Green enters the game for Fred VanVleet	31	38
1:36	Santi Aldama misses 28-foot three point jumper	31	38
1:34	Steven Adams defensive rebound	31	38
1:17	Jalen Green makes 25-foot three pointer	31	41
1:02	Luke Kennard makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot (Jake LaRavia assists)	34	41
38.1	Cam Whitmore misses 24-foot three point step back jumpshot	34	41
37.1	Grizzlies defensive team rebound	34	41
37.1	Ja Morant enters the game for Scotty Pippen Jr.	34	41
37.1	Desmond Bane enters the game for Jake LaRavia	34	41
37.1	Dillon Brooks enters the game for Steven Adams	34	41
29.1	Ja Morant makes 2-foot two point shot	36	41
21.2	Cam Whitmore misses driving floating jump shot	36	41
17.1	Jalen Green offensive rebound	36	41
17.1	Jalen Green misses dunk	36	41
17.1	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	36	41
16.0	Jalen Green makes 28-foot three point jumper (Dillon Brooks assists)	36	44
16.0	Desmond Bane flagrant foul type 1	36	44
16.0	(00:16) [Rockets] REF-INITIATED REVIEW (CALL OVERTURNED)	36	44
16.0	Scotty Pippen Jr. enters the game for Luke Kennard	36	44
16.0	Jaylen Wells enters the game for Desmond Bane	36	44
16.0	Fred VanVleet enters the game for Amen Thompson	36	44
16.0	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	36	44
16.0	Jalen Green misses free throw flagrant 1 of 2	36	44
16.0	Rockets offensive team rebound	36	44
16.0	Jalen Green makes free throw flagrant 2 of 2	36	45
6.0	Dillon Brooks misses 23-foot three point jumper	36	45
2.1	Ja Morant defensive rebound	36	45
0.0	Ja Morant misses driving floating jump shot	36	45
0.0	Grizzlies offensive team rebound	36	45
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	36	45

Related Tags

Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies Live StreamWatch Houston Rockets vs Memphis Grizzlies FreeRockets vs Grizzlies Live ScoreHOU vs MEM GameNBA Stream Houston RocketsNBA Stream Memphis GrizzliesFedExForumNBA Live StreamBasketball Streams

Explore More

Houston Rockets Standings Memphis Grizzlies Standings Houston Rockets Stats Memphis Grizzlies Stats NBA Standings NBA Schedule

Article Sections

Check all game sections

Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

FedExForum

Memphis, TN

Date & Time

1:00 AM, January 10, 2025

Coverage

NBA League Pass, FanDuel SN SE, Space City Home Network

Attendance

16,298

Referees

James Williams, Sean Corbin, Jonathan Sterling

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	43	16	.729	W11
Houston	37	22	.627	L1
Memphis	22	36	.379	W1
Dallas	21	38	.356	L2
New Orleans	19	42	.311	W4

Need Help?

Explore our comprehensive NBA streams guide for all available options and platform comparisons.

View Streaming Guide

Grizzlies

Rockets

Sengun has 32 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets beat the Grizzlies 119-115 in Morant's return

Game Analysis

Regular Season Series

Game Analysis

Game Stats

Game Article

Game Recap