The rest of the Western Conference has to be downright terrified of the Houston Rockets right now.

Playing without Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverley, Terrence Jones and Isaiah Canaan on Wednesday, the Rockets thoroughly picked apart the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the early season's most impressive teams. The final score was 105-96, speaking to a late Grizzlies comeback, but the outcome wasn't in question from the second quarter onward.

This continues a trend of the Rockets succeeding without key players, a minor surprise considering the team was supposed to lack depth. They're now 5-3 when Howard sits and 9-2 when Beverley does. It's really quite impressive.

It was a mixture of players and elements carrying the Rockets on Wednesday, with their offense playing well but not phenomenally, and their defense really only succeeding in keeping Memphis off the 3-point line.

The Rockets did manage a 13-rebound edge thanks to major efforts from Tarik Black (10 points, 11 rebounds and his first career double-double) and Joey Dorsey (seven points, eight rebounds, three blocks and all the highlights).

Again, this is a very, very good Grizzlies team that had lost twice before this game. They weren't at their best, but this stands out as maybe the Rockets' most notable victory of the young season. With it, they improve to 14-4 overall, letting their No. 2-ranked defense carry their middling offense.

And this start has come largely without three starters. Houston at full health? Yikes.