Player grades from the Rockets’ bounce-back victory over Grizzlies

A-. James Harden followed up a stellar opening performance with yet another impressive game, and especially as it pertains to his shooting. The Beard scored a game-high 31 points on 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. Harden nearly added a triple-double, as he had nine assists, eight rebounds, and two steals. The Grizzlies challenged Harden defensively, which resulted in him having seven turnovers, which he’ll certainly need to clean up. Perhaps one of the more puzzling things about his game was that he missed four free throws, as he went 12-of-16 from the charity stripe. But the Rockets were 15 points better with Harden on the floor, which was tied for second-best in the game.. Guard. Houston Rockets. JAMES HARDEN

Houston Rockets. RUSSELL WESTBROOK. D. Russell Westbrook had a much different game than his first performance, as he struggled mightily against the Grizzlies. The 2016-17 MVP missed his first eight shots before getting his signature mid-range shot to fall midway through the second quarter. All in all, Westbrook finished with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting, while adding five assists, six rebounds, and five turnovers. Westbrook played 26 minutes of action and turned in a performance to forget, although the Rockets were still able to win the game.. Guard

B+. Robert Covington’s second preseason game was much like the first, as he was in foul trouble all night. RoCo fouled out yet again, which is also concerning, as the Rockets only have one more scrimmage remaining before the games count. The good thing is that Covington’s shots have been falling, as he had 11 points on 4-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-6 from long-range. RoCo is shooting 55.6 percent from three during the preseason on 5-of-9 from deep, and he added five rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes of action against Memphis.. Forward. Houston Rockets. ROBERT COVINGTON

B-. Although P.J. Tucker went 1-of-5 against the Grizzlies, he contributed in other ways. The Rockets’ defensive ace had six rebounds and two assists, and his defense was stifling, as he harassed the Grizzlies defensively, which is par for the course for Tucker. The Rockets’ starting center had three steals and added a blocked shot, but his aggressive defensive play resulted in him getting fouled out of the game, which he was visibly unhappy about.. Forward. Houston Rockets. P.J. TUCKER

Houston Rockets. ERIC GORDON. D-. Eric Gordon had a dismal performance on Sunday, as he went 0-for-6 on his 3-point attempts. Gordon’s shot selection wasn’t exactly the best, and his 3-for-14 shooting splits was proof of that. Gordon added three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Gordon hasn’t looked crisp throughout the Rockets’ preseason, which is s bit concerning, especially since we now know he’ll be in the starting lineup. Gordon stated that he didn’t own a basketball goal, which limited his ability to train during the pandemic, and the rust has shown. Fortunately for Gordon, these games don’t count.. Guard