Physical Grizzlies present playoff preview
The Rockets could fairly say that Western Conference playoff teams are too bunched to predict playoff matchups.
They don’t know they will be play the Memphis Grizzlies. There is a good chance they will face a variety of teams, enough that they said they must keep their focus on how, rather than who, they will play.
But when they got back to work Friday, the standings at the time had the Rockets in a first-round matchup with Memphis.
That indicated a good chance that when the playoffs begin the Rockets will bang bodies with Marc Gasol, battle Zach Randolph in the low post and fight to escape the defense of Tony Allen and Mike Conley, all challenges they will face Saturday at Toyota Center.
How the matchup goes in early March might mean nothing about how it would go in April. But when they last met, the Rockets put up one of their best, toughest performances of the season. If they are to face the Grizzlies when the games matter more, they would like to know they can do it again.
“Memphis a very good team inside,” Rockets center Clint Capela said. “They play hard. It’s always a good matchup to go against and to be ready for the playoffs. Today, they would be the team we are matched up against. We all know they play hard. It’s hard in the paint. We all know when we play them we have to be ready to not be overpowered.”
With the Rockets third in the Western Conference beginning play Friday, the teams from four to seven are within two games of one another, diminishing some of the importance of playing well against a potential playoff opponent in the final regular-season matchup. The Grizzlies won the first two games before the Rockets won at Memphis in January. The teams have split the season
series in each of the previous three seasons.
“It’s important that we win,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It’s important that we get to third or second. That’s what’s important. Play well. If it happens to be against Memphis, but to many pros, to many guys, messages don’t hit him. The playoffs start, everybody’s 0-0. I don’t think it matters.”
Still, as much as the Grizzlies have evolved beyond reliance on the qualities of their “Grit and Grind’ tradition, they offer the physicality that would test the Rockets.
The Rockets rank 28th in points allowed in the paint per possession. They gave up an average of 50 in the paint in their two losses to the Grizzlies.
Step up in Memphis
But in the Rockets’ win in Memphis, they allowed just 38 points in the paint, showing the defensive toughness that has been sporadic often since and lately while the Rockets have won seven of nine.
“We were active,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “We were communicating on defense and helped each other out. And when they shot, we gang-rebounded. That’s every single night what we have to do.
“Especially, these last 20 games, every one is important. Putting ourselves in a really good position into the postseason. We have to approach every game like we did last game, with a defensive mindset.
“Offensively, we’re always going to score. That’s the approach we have to have. It’s a mental discipline process. We have to focus.”
A game after D’Antoni said the Rockets were “soft” in the paint and on the boards against the Pacers, he said they might have had their best game of the season in the win over the Clippers because of their defensive discipline and rebounding determination. They had allowed an average of 59 points in the paint in the previous two games, but gave up 42 against the Clippers. They were outrebounded by an average of 56.5-35 in those games and outrebounded the Clippers 62-36.
“There’s ups and downs throughout the year,” D’Antoni said. “I don’t know why we didn’t have it that game. Most of the time, we’ve had it. We’re third best in the West so we’ve had it most of the time. Every once in a while, it’s human nature, I think we get down if we miss shots or somebody doesn’t cover up for somebody (defensively) and we get down. We have to try to overcome that.
“We haven’t hit everything yet. We’re still getting better. If we keep our spirit right and we keep competing the way we did against the Clippers, we’ll have a lot of those games.”
Ain’t too proud to beg
Asked how he can get more consistent toughness out of his team, D’Antoni said: “Just beg a lot. Grovel. Groveling is good.”
Either that or Saturday he could just post a look at Gasol, Randolph and the Western Conference postseason matchups. After Saturday, the Rockets might not see the Grizzlies again this season. But if they want to test their mettle for a playoff matchup, they’ll have their chance.