Perhaps Rockets can use this game as blue print to play Sonics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_2728835,00.html By David J. Phillip/AP Jake Tsakalidis makes Steve Francis alter his shot during the Grizzlies' 88-80 loss at Houston on Saturday night. Francis finished with 14 points. Tsakalidis had four. Rockets end Grizzlies' streak at seven Memphis can't solve defense, falls back to sixth playoff spot By Ronald Tillery Contact March 14, 2004 HOUSTON - Less than a minute remained in the fourth quarter when Pau Gasol waltzed in the lane, seemingly headed for a score that would continue to give the Grizzlies hope. But Houston Rockets center Yao Ming appeared from the weak side. He strongly denied Gasol with an emphatic block that energized the Toyota Center's sellout crowd, and provided an exemplary snapshot of the Grizzlies' 88-80 loss Saturday night. Advertisement Houston's defense, the stingiest and perhaps most slap-happy in the league, did its job. The Grizzlies' seven-game win streak ended with them being forced to take outside shots and only making 39 percent. They hoisted 15 3-pointers and only converted one - a season low for long-range shooting. The Rockets entered the game holding opponents to an NBA-low 40 percent, and disrupted the Griz (41-25) enough to avenge two earlier losses. "When you're tough and physical in the painted area, that opens up our ball movement and 3-point shooting," Griz coach Hubie Brown said. "But you can't go 1-for-15 in 3-pointers, especially on the road. . . . That gets you back (in the game). We just couldn't get it." The Griz cut a 14-point deficit to 82-76 with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter. But they got no closer. Stromile Swift led the Grizzlies with 19 points off the bench. But the Rockets succeeded with a game plan that made it difficult for the Griz to operate in the paint. Gasol finished with 12 points and five rebounds after averaging 25.5 points in the past two outings. "It was hard for me to even get the ball," Gasol said. "They had two guys delaying my arrival in the post." Yao Ming made sure Houston didn't have much problem in the lane. He finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds and three blocks. Yao helped seal the Grizzlies' fate when he grabbed two rebounds and won a jump ball in a span of 26 seconds. The sequence ended with Jim Jackson beating the shot clock with a 15-foot runner that put Rockets ahead, 84-76, with 49.5 seconds left to play. "Jim Jackson had an excellent game for them," Brown said. "He made a lot of big plays and big shots." Jackson finished with a game-high 20 points, as the Rockets won their fifth straight game. Houston has won 11 of its past 13 home games. The loss dropped Memphis back into the Western Conference's sixth seed, behind Dallas and 11/2 games ahead of Houston. "There's a lot of reasons why we really had to walk in and win this game," Jackson said. "Plus, now we're starting to get back to where our defense is a catalyst in allowing us to get out and run and be more aggressive on offense." The Grizzlies' biggest deficit was 78-64 with 9:20 left in the fourth after Jackson converted two free throws. The foul shots capped a 15-8 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Jackson began the Rockets' spurt with a 3-pointer in transition. The Rockets shot 47 percent and made just five of 20 3-pointers. But Houston's long-range baskets were timely. Memphis experienced its biggest first-half deficit when Cuttino Mobley and Scott Padgett buried back-to-back 3-pointers that made the score 43-32 a few minutes before halftime. From that point, the Griz struggled on fast breaks and lacked execution in their offensive sets. "We didn't do what we wanted because we weren't spaced right, and we didn't execute," Jason Williams said. "We didn't make shots. But give them credit. They took us out of some of what we wanted." - Ronald Tillery: 529-2353 Copyright 2004, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.