Grizzlies 89 - 98 Rockets
Final
  for this game

Rockets continue home dominance of Grizzlies

Mar 31, 2012 - 4:25 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Goran Dragic scored a season-high 25 points and dished out seven assists, as the Houston Rockets held off the Memphis Grizzlies, 98-89.

Courtney Lee added 17 points for the Rockets, who have won 12 in a row against Memphis in Space City. Chase Budinger and Luis Scola donated 13 and 11 points, respectively.

"I just went back to the basics," Budinger said. "I just really got that shot back in practice just by repetition and I went out there feeling confident. In tonight's game, I went out there and I was able to knock them down."

Marcus Camby tallied seven points, 16 boards and six blocks for Houston, which shot 52.1 percent from the field and 7-of-14 from three-point range.

Rudy Gay ended with 20 points for the Grizzlies, who had a brief two-game winning streak snapped. Marc Gasol added 19 and nine rebounds.

The Rockets raced out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back. Houston led by as many as 13 in the first quarter and took a 30-19 edge into the second.

Houston scored the first six points of the second period to build a 36-19 margin. But Memphis responded with a 14-2 run to cut the gap to 38-33 with less than 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

Down by 10 moments later, the Grizzlies went on a 12-2 flurry to tie the game at 48. Dragic made a technical free throw with 8.2 seconds left to give Houston a 49-48 edge at the half.

With the score tied at 64 late in the third stanza, the Rockets went on a 10-2 run. Budinger made a pair of three-pointers during the flurry to give the home team a 74-66 lead with 1:06 to go.

Gasol made a layup and went 1-of-2 from the foul line in the final minute to get Memphis within five, 74-69.

Holding an 84-81 lead, Houston's Patrick Patterson made a hook shot with 4:21 to play. Camby came up with two big blocks at the other end, which led to Dragic's jumper.

"Obviously he is a defensive presence, he's been defensive player of the year and he knows exactly how to position against all the guys inside, he's another line of defense and they already have had a good defensive team. He fits right in with their style," Gay said of Camby.

After Gasol made two free throws, Budinger made a three-pointer to give the Rockets a 91-83 lead with 2:11 to go.

Game Notes

Memphis and Houston split four games this season...O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen each had 15 points for the Grizzlies, who shot 37.2 percent from the field and 1-of-15 from three-point range...Gasol returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game with a right ankle injury...The Grizzlies haven't won in Houston since a 93-81 triumph on April 15, 2006.






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