Jackson Leads Rocket Win

The longest current winning streak in the Western Conference doesn’t belong to the Memphis Grizzlies anymore. The Houston Rockets stole that distinction.

Jim Jackson scored 20 points and made a crucial running jumper with 50 seconds to play, and the Rockets beat Memphis, 88-80, Saturday night at Houston to win their fifth in a row and end the Grizzlies’ seven-game winning streak.

Jackson had 10 points in the fourth quarter, when the Rockets committed eight of their 17 turnovers.

“He’s been doing this for a long time,” James Posey said. “They put the ball in his hands and he put the nail in the coffin. He made some big shots in the fourth quarter.”

It was the Rockets’ first win over the Grizzlies this season.

“That’s a team that beat us twice, and plus they’re playing the best since the All-Star break,” Jackson said. “There are a lot of reasons why we really had to walk in and win this game.”

Houston built a 78-64 lead early in the fourth quarter, its biggest, but the Grizzlies cut the deficit to six points on two occasions, the last with 2 minutes 11 seconds to play on a basket by Pau Gasol.

Jackson’s jumper made it 84-76. He made two free throws with 28 seconds to play and two more with 14 seconds to go.

“He knows when he has to step up,” Yao Ming said. “He’s over 30 years old and has played in the NBA over 10 years and he knows what he has to do.”

Yao had 17 points and 11 rebounds and blocked a shot by Gasol with 44 seconds to go.

“I’m happy with the win, but I also know things never stay the same in this league,” Coach Jeff Van Gundy said. “You have to have an urgency. Our team in particular has to compete at a high level. There’s no room or margin for error.”

A victory would have assured the Grizzlies of their first winning season.

“Yao Ming is the second-best force in the game and Steve Francis is one of the top guards, so they should be pretty good,” Memphis Coach Hubie Brown said. “I like what they’ve done with their defense. They’ve won some big games recently.”

Stromile Swift led Memphis with 19 points and Bonzi Wells had 16.

Cuttino Mobley, who broke out of a shooting slump in the previous game with 31 points, scored seven in the second quarter to help the Rockets to a 52-41 halftime lead. Mobley finished with 15 points.

“We’re just trying to get to the playoffs the best way possible,” Mobley said.