Friday night’s home opener gave the Houston Rockets a vision for what they can be in the coming years.
Houston dropped its second straight game to kick off the season, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies 129-122 at the Toyota Center. Memphis was in Houston’s spot in the Western Conference hierarchy just a few years ago, working to build a winner around dynamic guard Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies’ process has paid off. Morant is one of the game’s top stars. Memphis won 56 games last season. And on Friday, it closed out a young Houston team with a 34-22 advantage across the final 12 minutes.