Chris Paul powers Rockets past Grizzlies in Iron City Showdown

By Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle

Updated

9:44 pm CDT, Tuesday, October 2, 2018

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Chris Paul could not pick up where he left off. As much as he might wish that, Game 5 ended. He limped off. The Rockets season was never the same, and he – as he has repeatedly said – could not allow himself to longingly look back at what could have been.

In other ways, however, Paul on Tuesday left that behind by returning to the unstoppable play that took over the game that night before his hamstring grabbed him and would not let go.

When the Rockets preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday was ragged, he settled things down, getting open shots for the Rockets around him. When the Rockets were missing 3s, he made his. Most reminiscent of last season, when he got switches and isolated on Grizzlies big men, he scored with ease.

With Paul driving them, the Rockets escaped a slow start to the preseason to roll to a 131-115 win in the Iron City Showdown game in Birmingham.

Paul had 23 points in 23 minutes in the first three quarters, making 5 of 6 3-pointers and adding seven assists and four steals. The Rockets were 23-2 last season when he scored 20 points or more and surged on Tuesday when he began to roll. He began the fourth quarter by slapping the ball from Doral Moore and sending a pass between his legs on the break to Michael Carter-Williams for a three-point play.

With P.J. Tucker remaining in Houston with a sore back, Carmelo Anthony started at power forward, largely staying behind the 3-point line. He did have one post-up in the first half, launching over Mike Conley, who had plenty to say to the Rockets bench, drawing considerable laughter, when Anthony missed.

Anthony, however, made 4 of 8 shots for his 13 points in 23 minutes, almost entirely by finding his spots in the perimeter to catch-and-shoot.

That he seemed to fit so easily was not unexpected. The Rockets might have been more encouraged by the way two other newcomers, Marquese Chriss and Carter-Williams, contributed.

Carter-Williams was solid throughout, getting to the rim when playing at the point or off the ball making five of his six shots to score 19 points in 21 minutes. The Rockets had been citing his strong play since the start of camp. But Chriss especially settled in after a rocky start.

Playing as the backup center, Chriss seemed to struggle with the pace of the Rockets offense early. The Rockets envision him providing the vertical spacing for the second unit that Clint Capela brings the starters and have wanted him to cut as hard. But with the exception of a terrific lob from Paul in the first half, he had his difficulties with dashing into traffic, collecting five turnovers in his 9 1/3 first-half minutes.

In the second half, however, he was able to string together strong possessions on both ends of the floor.

Though James Harden was not sharp, he finished with 22 points and six assists. After Paul and Eric Gordon had combined 23 first-half points with Paul adding six assists, Harden provided a flurry late in the first half with a four-point play before he took advantage of rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. on consecutive plays to score eight of his 12 first-half points in the final 1:15 of the half.

When Gordon ended the half with a 3-pointer, the Rockets had finished the half with an 11-2 run to a five-point lead and rolled from there.

Most of the first half was as sloppy and foul-filled as might be expected for a first preseason game, though when the Rockets began getting hit with technical fouls, too, that seemed to get them revved up.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni received the first technical foul minutes after the end of the first quarter when Paul got tangled up with Jackson. Paul did not seem to mind and helped Jackson up, but D’Antoni spent most of the time between quarters talking about it and received a technical foul minutes later.

Carter-Williams, called for a foul on a strip attempt for the second time, received his technical foul for his reaction. Paul, seeming to have made up his mind to get one, made it three technical fouls in the quarter.

The Rockets, however, had seemed to snap out of their early funk, going from a nine-point deficit to a lead that reached 19.

Though a few of the regulars looked to be in regular-season form along the way, Paul looked postseason sharp, reminding of where he had been the last time he took the floor.