Rockets Head to Utah for First Matchup with Jazz
Quick Trip. First Dip. Avoiding the Trap.
The Rockets head over to Salt Lake City for a quick one game road trip on Saturday night, as they battle the Utah Jazz. Tonight’s matchup is the first meeting this season between these old Western rivals. Both Houston and Utah played last night, so neither team has the rest advantage entering this tilt. The Rockets are coming off an impressive home win over the Timberwolves last night. Meanwhile, the Jazz lost in blowout fashion at home courtesy of the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder.
Houston is 35-21 on the season, still in fourth place in the Western Conference, and only two games in the loss column behind the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets. Utah has been yo-yoing with the New Orleans Pelicans for last place in the West. The Jazz currently sport a 13-42 record, good for 14th place in the conference. Despite their record, Utah still has talented players, and if the Rockets overlook the Jazz, Houston could be in line for another disappointing defeat. One along the lines of the poor stretch of play the Rockets exhibited entering the All-Star break, as Houston lost seven of their previous nine games before the intermission.
Utah has several players Houston’s defense needs to contain. Former All-Star Lauri Markannen can drop 30 or more points on any given night. John Collins led the Jazz with 26 points in their last game. Jordan Clarkson is also capable of providing a scoring boost, and Walker Kessler is coming off a 19-rebound performance in the last game for Utah. And Keyonte George added 20 points off the bench as well. Basically, the Jazz have plenty of individual weapons, they just don’t add up to a good team. Utah is very young, and they’re still fully in rebuilding mode after superstar Donovan Mitchell left to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers a few years ago.
Coming into their first meeting with the Jazz this season, the Rockets will be extra short-handed. Besides Fred VanVleet, who’s still out due to an ankle injury, Steven Adams, Tari Eason, and Jae’Sean Tate will all miss tonight’s contest as well. Despite all the injuries, Houston will look to make quick work of an inferior Utah team, and stay undefeated after the All-Star break.
Delta Center: Salt Lake City, Utah
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (35-21): White
Utah Jazz (13-42): Purple
Tip-Off: 8:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass