The Houston Rockets avoided embarrassment against the Memphis Grizzlies. The game hung in limbo. The see-saw of momentum looked like it could shift into Memphis’ favor at any moment. But then Kevin Durant emerged, bailing Houston out of trouble. But who rescued KD? We are only asking this question because the Grizzlies’ GG Jackson had an answer.

The Grizzlies forward threw all of his punches at tonight’s officiating crew for not uniformly calling the game.

“I felt as though I was getting downhill, physical as I usually am. Get no calls but KD can jab step, jab step and jump up and down and your hand be right there and you clearly see in the replay nobody touched him and now you got Tari Eason, ‘bruh you not KD’. On this court right now, I’m the closest one to him. So like, just unbelievable how the refs can suck up to somebody,” Jackson said after the game.

There was a clear disparity. The Rockets had eight more free throw attempts tonight. In a game decided by 10-points, that minute advantage could be the difference maker. It’s a different thing that the Rockets didn’t make it into an advantage. They ended up making just one additional free throw in comparison to the Grizzlies. But that wasn’t GG Jackson’s point.

He was frustrated with the lack of clarity offered by the officials.

However, this rant could really go against Jackson. It’s common practice in the league for players to face punishments for criticising officials. The Grizzlies star did it without any filter whatsoever.  That could very well result in a hefty fine for the 21-year-old, who is making the most of his opportunities with the Grizzlies as the team suffers from an injury crisis.

As for the calls, the disparity wasn’t the largest we’ve seen. And with the Rockets’ inefficiency from the charity stripe, didn’t create a large enough separation.

Kevin Durant, Rockets survive the Grizzlies’ surge

The Rockets had to battle early to recover from a 7-point deficit. However, the same theme played out. They held a comfortable lead only for it to reach a point where they had to play with desperation. This came against a Grizzlies team who had 10 players on their injury list. The Rockets almost let this win slip.

Notably, the Grizzlies’ Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 26 second half points. At one point, Memphis cut Houston’s lead to just three points in the fourth quarter.

But instead of succumbing to the Grizzlies’ pressure, the Rockets actually responded this time. Although they turned the ball over six times, the Rockets were efficient. They shot 11-21 from the floor in the final period, also making three triples. They outscored the Grizzlies 32-27, securing a much-needed win.

It came down to some offensive brilliance from Kevin Durant. He hit two big-time threes after subbing back in just as the Grizzlies seemed to catch some fire. It allowed the Rockets to bounce back from a two-game skid. Durant also had 10 assists, with just one turnover before the fourth quarter started.

It wasn’t a convincing win for Houston. However, their strong presence on the glass and a veteran Kevin Durant ensured the night ended on a high note. Did you feel like the Grizzlies faced discrepancy from the officials? Let us know your views in the comments below.