Rockets Rally Past Jazz, 116-111, for Second Straight Win
Another Bird Sighting. Distance Domination. Road Warriors.
Houston came out like warriors in Utah, gaining a 9-point lead after the first quarter. But to no one’s surprise, the Rockets eventually were mired in one of their usual slumps, scoring only 21 points in the second period, and staring at a 5-point deficit at halftime. Houston trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, before they went on a 15-0 run near the end of the period. Overall, the Rockets ended the third period on a 21-6 run to seize control of the game, and staved off the Jazz for an impressive 116-111 win. The victory is Houston’s third in four games on this current road trip, as the Rockets are playing some of their best basketball of the season. Utah played without their best perimeter player, Donovan Mitchell, who was a late scratch with concussion-symptoms. Regardless, the Jazz still had a talented, experienced enough squad to get the job done, especially at home. The knockout in Utah is especially impressive for this young Rockets team who struggled monumentally on the road to start the season.
Garrison Matthews had his second straight stellar performance. Garry Bird scored 23 points, tying his season-high, to lead all Houston players. Matthews has now scored 40 points on 9-for-15 shooting from distance in the team’s last two wins. The Rockets as a team had one of their best three-point shooting nights of the season in Utah. Houston shot 49% (22-for-45) from three-point range against the Jazz, and had six different players nail at least three shots from distance. When the Rockets are connecting from long range, they’re a very difficult team to beat, as the three-pointer is key to the squad’s success. Christian Wood recorded another double-double, posting 13 points and 15 boards for the Rockets. Jae’Sean Tate added 18 points, and Eric Gordon score 16 for Houston. Kevin Porter Jr. continues to play more efficient basketball as opposed to earlier in the season. Scoot scored 15 points on 50% shooting and dished out 8 assists on the night. Utah, meanwhile, struggled from three-point range, shooting only 26% on the night. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 29 points. Rudy Gobert added 23 points and 9 rebounds. But Utah was clearly missing a spark that Mitchell could’ve provided, and the Rockets took advantage of this opportunity.
Houston has now won three of their last four games, all on this current five-game road trip. After starting the season 4-18 away from home, the Rockets are now now trying to end the road trip with a 4-1 mark. Although the task won’t be easy, as Houston faces the best team on this road-trip at their last stop, a matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Similar to Utah, Golden State has struggled lately, trying to adjust with Klay Thompson’s return to the lineup after a two-year absence. The Warriors have lost six of their last nine games. Houston will try and add to the Dubs’ misery as the Rockets try and prove that they’re worthy road warriors with a win in the Bay Area on Friday night.