On This Day: Sam Dekker’s Career Day Lifts Rockets over Grizzlies

It was a dominant performance.

Mar 4, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Sam Dekker (7) shares a laugh with Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni against the Memphis Grizzlies during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The 2016-17 Houston Rockets weren’t exactly expected to be contenders. The team went 41-41 in the previous season, after parting with Kevin McHale, the coach that led them to three consecutive postseason appearances, including the Western Conference Finals.

Dwight Howard, who was the team’s splash free agency acquisition just three seasons prior, bailed, bolting for greener pastures.

And the team’s attempt to acquire a high-profile point guard in Ty Lawson culminated in a failed experiment, as Lawson proved incapable of being any semblance of the player he’d been with the Denver Nuggets.

It was an offseason of change for the Rockets. The team hired Mike D’Antoni, who had gone 27-55 in his last season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013-14.

The team also signed Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, neither of whom was believed to be pieces that would ascend the Rockets into a contending team.

And the team didn’t have much young talent on the roster. At least not proven young talent.

Clint Capela, Montrezl Harrell and Sam Dekker were essentially the only players at or under 23 years-of-age that were regulars in the rotation.

Of the three, Dekker was the highest drafted player.

In fact, Harrell was drafted in the second round.

All told, Dekker never quite amounted to much in the NBA. Certainly in comparison to the other two.

And his Rockets career was short-lived.

However, on Jan. 21st, 2017, he had the game of his life, when the Rockets faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Dekker dropped 30 points, which led the Rockets, while shooting 12-of-19 and 6-of-11 from long-range.

Dekker had five rebounds and two steals, while posting a 78.9 percent true shooting split.

The game was just one of Dekker’s only two games as a starter during his Rockets career.

At the end of the season, Dekker was traded to the LA Clippers in the deal that sent surefire future Hall of Fame floor general Chris Paul to the Rockets, in a deal that saw Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Darrun Hillard, DeAndre Liggins, Kyle Wiltjer, a 2018 first-round draft selection and $661,000 in case to Los Angeles.

But on this day in 2017, Dekker lifted the Rockets to victory.