HOUSTON (AP) — Tari Eason scored a career-high 25 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Houston Rockets extended their home winning streak to 11 games with a 117-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
Eason came off the bench to shoot 10 for 16 and matched a career-high with 14 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks each scored 11 points and Jae’Sean Tate had 10 points and seven rebounds for Houston, which shot 45%, including 12 of 32 from 3-point range. Houston outrebounded Memphis 58-39.
The Rockets’ 11-game home winning streak is their longest since a franchise record 20-game home win streak from Jan. 10-April 5, 2018.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a career-high 44 points and seven rebounds, Derrick Rose added 19 points and six assists and Vince Williams Jr. had 10 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, which lost its third straight game.
Jackson was 15 of 24 from the field and scored 29 points in the second half.
The Grizzlies shot 43%, but were just 10 of 38 from long distance. Memphis forced 19 Houston turnovers, which they converted into 23 points.
Desmond Bane, who is Memphis’ leading scorer at 24.8 points per game, was out with an illness. Bane became the 11th Grizzlies player to miss a game due to injury or illness this season.
Houston led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter before Memphis cut the lead to 57-43 at the half. The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 15-3 run and cut the Rockets’ lead to 60-58 on a free throw by Williams with eight minutes remaining in the third.
Leading 82-81 to start the fourth, Houston opened the quarter on a 10-2 run, stretching its lead to 92-83 on a jumper by VanVleet with 9 ½ minutes left. Memphis got no closer than six points the rest of the way.
UP NEXT
The Rockets and Grizzlies face off again Friday in Memphis in the second game of the home-and-home set.
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