The Houston Rockets are now blazing after a slow season start.
Winning momentum remains surging for the Rockets as they dominated the Memphis Grizzlies on the road with a 124-109 victory on Wednesday evening. After tightly losing their first two games, the Rockets are now boasting a stupendous five-game win streak to improve to 5-2.
Houston instantly dominated Memphis from the tip-off, ultimately locking the game’s entire momentum until the final buzzer as they led by as much as 21. Inside presence and defense have dictated the Rockets’ solid performance, as they were strong once again under the glass with 54 boards while dominating the shaded area with 60 total points to overwhelm the Grizzlies team that shot an awful 38 percent from the field.
Kevin Durant struggled for the second consecutive game with 11 points in 5-of-18 shooting, but the rest of the group carried him to secure the easy win in Memphis, with six other players scoring double digits.
Here are the key takeaways of the Rockets’ victory against the Grizzlies:
Nov 5, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) reacts with center Alperen Sengun (28) during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Two of the Rockets’ biggest stars emerged big-time once again as Houston handily outlasted Memphis tonight.
Amen Thompson delivered another two-way brilliance as he spearheaded the Rockets, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. From leading the team in scoring, his lockdown defense to contain Ja Morant to 6-of-19 shooting was also massive.
Meanwhile, Alperen Sengun also feasted with 20 points, 16 boards and seven assists, completely outplaying Memphis’ frontcourt slate of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale.
Nov 5, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) defends during the first quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
As Durant endured another poor shooting night, it was both Jabari Smith Jr. and Josh Okogie who carried the burden to be the Rockets’ key contributors behind Thompson and Sengun.
Shrugging off his ankle issues, Smith Jr. made his return and productively helped the Rockets over the Grizzlies, tallying 16 points and four rebounds in 6-of-8 shooting.
On the other hand, Josh Okogie was reliable with his 13 points, three boards, three assists and two steals, as his defense also made an impact in guarding Morant.
Nov 5, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles as Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
From scoring, rebounding and defense, the Rockets’ second unit played an X-factor role in outlasting the Grizzlies.
Tari Eason popped up with 16 points and five rebounds across 32 minutes, draining four key triples. Also, Reed Sheppard showed off with a consistent 12-point output off the bench for 17 minutes.
And lastly, Clint Capela’s six points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes were pivotal on the Rockets’ control of the matchup.
Acing the first game of their three-game road trip, the Rockets are now going to San Antonio for a marquee NBA Cup showdown against the Spurs on Friday.
