Consecutive points and assists by Lin helped the team to overtake Memphis in the last minutes. The Grizzlies scrambled to regain their strength, but to no avail -- and had their two-game winning streak snapped.
James Harden went 22 of 25 from the line and scored 27 points for Houston. Dwight Howard, saddled by foul trouble, only had two points and six boards. Chandler Parsons chipped in 15 points.
Zach Randolph, the lone Memphis starter to score in double figures, paired 23 points with 17 rebounds and five assists for Memphis.
With the win, Houston has improved to 20-11 on the season. Memphis is 12-16.