HOUSTON -- Try as they might to distance themselves from the "Grit-and-Grind" identity that served as the foundation for their proud history as postseason regulars, the Memphis Grizzlies will remain linked to that ideology if they continue to win in the manner they did on Monday.

Guard Mike Conley keyed a 13-0 run down the stretch to help Memphis erase a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit for a 98-90 win over the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.

Conley entered the final period with just five points after missing all five shots from the field. However, after the Rockets (3-1) secured an 88-78 lead on a James Harden finger roll with 6:22 remaining, Conley sandwiched two 3-pointers around a three-point play from James Ennis III on which Conley provided the assist.

The first Conley 3-pointer pulled the Grizzlies even at 88-88 with 3:02 left to play. His second answered a Clint Capela alley-oop dunk and extended Memphis' lead to 94-90 at the 2:03 mark.

"They did a good job for the first three quarters defending," said Conley, who scored 12 points on 3-for-5 shooting in the fourth. He finished the night with 17 points. "They did a good job switching and making it tough. Every shot I took was a tough shot until the fourth quarter. I was patient, and my teammates told me to be ready in the fourth quarter, be ready to go.

"I got back in the game and coach (David Fizdale) ran a couple plays for me and got me some good looks, and after that I just got in a good rhythm."

Memphis (3-0) closed the game on a 20-2 run. Houston shot 5 of 19 from the field in the fourth as the Grizzlies' suffocating perimeter defense applied unrelenting pressure throughout.

Memphis' defensive pressure yielded a cumulative impact. The Rockets missed 11 of 12 shots following the Harden layup while committing three turnovers during that nightmarish stretch.

"Obviously, the end of the game, the run that we made defensively was outstanding," Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. "Not allowing them to score, that's a great way to finish the game.

"When you can trust that your defense is going to be there for you, you don't put as much pressure on your offense."

Gasol paced Memphis with 26 points. Ennis added a double-double, 14 points and 11 boards.

Eric Gordon led Houston with 27 points and added seven assists but missed 10 of 15 3-point attempts. Harden had 22 points and eight assists but also committed a game-high seven turnovers.

"We just got stagnant," Harden said of the offensive collapse. "Our bodies weren't popping and moving like we normally do. We didn't make shots, obviously. They played pretty good defense, but we didn't have pop when we needed it."

Gasol mustered plenty of pop in the first half, with his 18 points prior to the intermission helping offset the Grizzlies' woeful perimeter shooting. Memphis shot 0-for-7 on 3-point tries before the break.

Gordon largely carried the Rockets in the first half with Harden coming alive in the final minute, burying a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left before beating the buzzer with a driving layup that staked Houston to a 57-50 lead at intermission. Gordon and Harden combined for 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting and 10 assists at the break, but Memphis was unfazed and kept digging in defensively.

"It's tough. They put pressure on the ball-handler," Gordon said. "They do a lot of different things. Whether they didn't want us to shoot a lot of threes or if they didn't want us penetrating, it was almost like one-on-one. They did a good job."

NOTES: While not playing under a specified minutes restriction, Grizzlies F Chandler Parsons was limited to 15 minutes in each of the first two games, then logged 16 minutes and had five points with three rebounds against the Rockets. Memphis coach David Fizdale anticipates keeping Parsons in that range for the foreseeable future. ... Rockets F Ryan Anderson was listed as questionable due to lower back pain but started and logged 31 minutes, posting five points and six rebounds. ... Rockets G James Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 27.7 points, nine rebounds and four assists as Houston went 3-0. Harden has earned the honor 14 times.