Improved defense leads to 4th rout of preseason

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he wanted to see his defense improve. He just did not say when.

The Rockets gave him what he sought. The improvement, however, did not begin until the second quarter. When it did, the defense turned the game around and carried the Rockets past the Grizzlies 101-89 on Wednesday night, moving the Rockets to 4-0 in the preseason, all with blowouts.

After the Grizzlies got off to a sizzling start, making 61.1 percent of their shots on their way to a 10-point lead, the Rockets began to take away the scrambling more aggressively and eliminating the breakdowns Memphis exploited early.

Without finding their own shooting touch, the Rockets took a 71-66 lead into the fourth quarter as Memphis went from that hot start through 10 minutes to make just 14 of 47 shots (29.8 percent) through three quarters.

By then, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley were ready to call it a preseason night. But they played long enough to give the Rockets’ defense a good test and a chance to dramatically turn things around.

Memphis made just 38 percent of its shots and only 26.1 percent of its 3-pointers. The Grizzlies scored just 64 points in the final three quarters.

The Rockets never shot very well themselves, making 38.8 percent of their shots and 14 of 46 (30.4 percent) of their 3-pointers, with James Harden and Chris Paul a combined 5-of-25. Eric Gordon, who had made 65.2 percent of his 3s in the first three preseason games, made just 2 of 12 3-pointers.

But the Rockets are not concerned with their offense working. D’Antoni wanted to cut down on turnovers (the Rockets had five in the second half ) and tighten the defense.

He had good reason. The Rockets were 10-0 when holding opponents shy of 40 percent shooting last season, 18-0 when keeping teams shy of 100 points.

They did both on Wednesday, with one preseason tuneup — Friday against the Spurs at Toyota Center — remaining.

Harden likes Fertitta’s drive

A day after Tilman Fertitta was introduced as Rockets owner, the face of the franchise said he was happy with his first impressions of the new boss.

“He sounds excited,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “He sounds motivated. It’s something he dreamed of his entire life, his entire family. The opportunity became available. He took advantage of it. He’s determined. He wants to get this organization to the top. Everything makes sense.”

Harden sat next to Patrick Fertitta, one of Tilman Fertitta’s three sons, at an Astros game last week, getting a feel for the family’s attitude about owning the team.

“They’re all excited,” Harden said. “We’re excited about the partnership. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Use of starters upsets Knicks

As NBA controversies go, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni did not expect to be hit with criticism for his team winning by too many points in the preseason.

He had been faulted for running up a score against in New York on Monday, with even Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek saying he was surprised D’Antoni returned his starters to the floor in the fourth quarter.

“We were up 11,” D’Antoni said, incredulous that building on an 11-point lead would be called unsportsmanlike in an NBA game.

He did play his regulars more than many coaches do in the preseason, with James Harden playing 37 minutes and Trevor Ariza 35. That was part of his plan for the week, with three games in five days before Tuesday’s opener at Golden State.

“James came over and said to get ready, ‘Mike, I need to go, I need to play this last stint. Let me go,’ ” D’Antoni said. “Eric (Gordon has) got to play. Ryan (Anderson has) to play where they push themselves to get ready for the season. That was my mindset. Once we were up 25, I didn’t notice.

“I really wasn’t worried about the Knicks. I was worried about the Houston Rockets, making sure we get ready for Tuesday. I definitely didn’t mean any disrespect. I’ve got to get our guys ready.

“Our schedule is to play hard on Monday, a lot of minutes, rest on Tuesday, play hard on Wednesday, rest on Thursday, and play hard on Friday, a lot of minutes. That’s the rhythm we want to get into.”

The Rockets beat the Knicks 117-95, outscoring them 24-13 after Harden, Ariza and Gordon checked in with 6:48 left.