HOUSTON (AP) — Clint Capela had a season-high 23 points with 13 rebounds on Sunday night as Houston’s stars sat out in a 132-101 rout of the injury-plagued Memphis Grizzlies to end the regular season.
The Rockets went 4-0 against the Grizzlies this season for their first season sweep against them since 2009-10.
The Rockets played without starters Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. with the fifth seed in the Western Conference
playoffs secured. They'll face the fourth-seeded Lakers in the first round.
Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie, who have all started at times this season, were in the starting lineup Sunday and played through the third quarter.
Sheppard had 19 points Sunday and is the only Rocket to play all 82 games this season. Eason added 20 points with eight assists and Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points.
Dariq Whitehead led Memphis with a career-high 26 points and Rayan Rupert added 21 as the Grizzlies capped a disappointing 25-57 season. The Grizzlies dressed just eight players and started Toby Okani and Whitehead, who both signed 10-day contracts on April 3.
Capela, a center in his 12th NBA season, made the first 3-pointer of his career early in the fourth quarter after missing the first seven attempts of his career, including his first try Sunday night. Capela raised his arms in celebration after hitting the shot and Houston’s bench stood and cheered.
Forty-year-old Taj Gibson had four points in 19 minutes for the Grizzlies and 39-year-old Jeff Green scored six points in 24 minutes for Houston. They are two of seven players 39 or older to have appeared in a game this season and Sunday was the 30th time they’ve faced each other in the regular season with the first meeting coming in 2010.
The Rockets will begin the playoffs next weekend at the LA Lakers.
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