Two Things to Watch as the Houston Rockets Face the Memphis Grizzlies

The Houston Rockets are in desperation mode with just 10 games left in the season, having dropped their last two. Wednesday's 110-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was an utter disaster, as they blew a 13-point overtime lead, the largest in the play-by-play era.

But with a new day comes new opportunities, and the Rockets can get back on track against the Grizzlies tonight. Memphis has been one of the Western Conference's bottom feeders at 24-48. This season saw them go through a lot of changes, whether it be because of injuries or trades.

Houston has suffered due to a lack of playing above inferior opponents. Here are two things to watch in this Friday night matchup:

Houston's Paint Presence

Since Zach Edey was ruled out for the season and Jock Landale was traded, the Grizzlies have had no presence in the paint. It's a big reason why the San Antonio Spurs defeated Memphis by 25 points on Wednesday. They notched 56 points inside.

The Rockets will have to do more of the same with towering rotations. Ime Udoka has leaned on height-heavy lineups this season, so this is a perfect opportunity for big men like Alperen Şengün, Clint Capela and Jabari Smith Jr. to get aggressive in the paint.

Houston is fifth in points in the paint per game this season, as well as the NBA's top offensive rebounding team. The Rockets have to take full advantage against a smaller Grizzlies rotation because their three-point shooting isn't a major strength.

Rebounding Battle

Speaking of boards, and diving into more recent trends, Memphis has been a solid team as of late when it comes to second-chance opportunities, but it has been horrid at defensive rebounding. Since March 1, the Grizzlies rank 14th in offensive rebounding percentage, but dead last in that category on the other end.

Houston is sort of similar in the fact that it is tremendous at creating extra possessions. But the Rockets also do their due diligence on the defensive side of the ball, ranking sixth in defensive rebounding percentage this month.

It coincides with the topic of a paint presence, but keep an eye on how each team not only handles the rebounding battle, but also how each team gameplans for it as well. Will the Grizzlies send more players from the perimeter to the paint on either end, or will Houston have a field day in creating second-chance opportunities on the glass?