Rockets 91, Jazz 107 - Deflation

By Forrest Walker on April 22, 2019
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After going up 3-0 for the first time since the 2015 series against the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets immediately coughed up a deflating loss to a quite good Utah Jazz team. With starting center Clint Capela reportedly somehow double sick, this series, which still almost certainly Houston's, has  suddenly become a lot more concerning for the Rockets.

Rockets 104, Jazz 101 - The Slog

By Forrest Walker on April 20, 2019
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It wasn't a surprise that game three would be the hardest one yet for the Houston Rockets. The Utah Jazz came into the evening down 0-2 in their first round series, finally hosting a game in Salt Lake City and absolutely desperate to get a win. The crowd can be counted on to have their backs, the energy is high, and being down 1-2 is infinitely better than 0-3. The Rockets were always going to have to work for this win. They simply had no idea how brutal of a slog it would prove to be. In one of the most hard-fought games of the entire season for the Rockets, they somehow survived this grueling game and came away with a tremendous win in Utah, almost certainly closing the door on the Jazz.

Rockets 118, Jazz 98 - Second Verse

By Forrest Walker on April 17, 2019
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The Houston Rockets had a chance to assert themselves in game two and set themselves apart in the Western Conference as as not just a quality team, but as a force to be reckoned with. In the wake of a massive victory in game one, it's not only possible but common for a team to let up and give away game two. To their credit, the Rockets did exactly what they needed to. This was a game that wasn't competitive at any point and the Rockets never trailed. The Rockets want to prove that they are who they say they are, and across two games, they've given us no reason to doubt.

Rockets 122, Jazz 90 - Statement of Intent

By Forrest Walker on April 14, 2019
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The Houston Rockets are not here to mess around. James Harden and his teammates had a chance to make a statement in game one of the 2019 playoffs, to set the tone for their expectations going forward. In retrospect, there was nearly nothing more they could have done to show the world exactly what they aim to do. The Utah Jazz came to Houston only to be absolutely buried by the Rockets in a 32-point victory that can only be read as a statement of intent.

Rockets 91, Jazz 119 - The Rockets are Bad

By Forrest Walker on December 7, 2018
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The Houston Rockets are a bad basketball team. Despite losing Rudy Gobert to an ejection early in the game, the Utah Jazz still held an 8 point lead at halftime and grew it to 20 in five minutes. This game was over before it started because every Rockets game is over before it starts. The only two teams in the west more abjectly pathetic than the Rockets are the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, and those two teams at least have some sort of excuse. Unless they prove it wrong, the Rockets are a bad basketball team and nothing more.

Rockets 112, Jazz 102 - Chris Paul

By Forrest Walker on May 8, 2018
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Chris Paul led the Houston Rockets to a victory over the Utah Jazz and will compete in the conference finals for the first time in his NBA career. His skill and intensity were on full display as he exorcised these demons in front of the entire world. For the first time since 2015, the Houston Rockets will return to the Western Conference Finals, but this time as the top seed in the NBA. The time is now for the Houston Rockets, and all they have to do is defeat the best team ever.

Rockets 100, Jazz 87 - The Cusp

By Forrest Walker on May 6, 2018
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The Houston Rockets are one win away from the Western Conference Finals. If his team advances to the conference finals, it will be the first time in his NBA career for Chris Paul. It will be the team's first third-round berth since 2015, when they were felled by the Golden State Warriors in their first championship run under head coach Steve Kerr. This series is not over yet, but with a hard-fought win in game 4, the Rockets head back to Houston with a chance to close out the Utah Jazz in game 5. The Rockets have shown an ability to win when it counts this season, and tonight was yet another example of that tenacity.

Rockets 113, Jazz 92 - Intensity

By Forrest Walker on May 4, 2018
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The Houston Rockets were in no mood to lose two games in a row. After a lackadaisical first half in game 2, the Rockets came out with a higher level of intensity, and as a consequence, a higher level of defense. The Utah Jazz fell behind early and even at their home altitude, the Jazz were the ones who couldn't catch their breath. In one of the most lopsided affairs of this season's playoffs, The Rockets ran the Jazz right out of their own gym on the way to asserting their dominance in this series.

Rockets 108, Jazz 116 - A Bad Middle

By Forrest Walker on May 2, 2018
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For the first time in this season's playoffs, the Houston Rockets have lost a game at home. In fact, out of seven games played, it's only their second loss. Unfortunately for them, the previous rounds don't matter, and this means they're now tied up, 1-1 with the Utah Jazz. The series now heads back to Utah, transformed into a best-of-five with the Rockets on the road. The Jazz punched back after that initial letdown, and now they've made this into a real series. If the Rockets want to take control again, they have some things to take care of.

Rockets 110, Jazz 96 - A Good Start

By Forrest Walker on April 29, 2018
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In the first quarter of the first half of the first game of the second round, the Houston Rockets came out of the gates at full speed, beginning not just the quarter, not just the game, but the series off strong, something that was a burning question mere hours ago. With only one game in the books in their series against the Utah Jazz, nothing is settled. But for James Harden and the Houston Rockets, this game augurs very well.

Rockets-Jazz 2nd Round Preview and Predictions

By Salman Ali on April 28, 2018
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The Western Conference Semis are here! Let's not waste any time, shall we?

Rockets 96, Jazz 85 - Be Afraid

By Forrest Walker on February 26, 2018
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If you're not afraid of this Houston Rockets team, you should be. On a grueling night in Utah, without four rotation players, exhausted from playing in Denver the evening prior, the Rockets overcame a 15-point deficit to the Utah Jazz and ended the evening with a double-digit win. That's not normal. That's not even special. That's monstrous. The Rockets are on an absolute tear and have no mercy for opponents who are playing for their playoff lives. Do not cross paths with them if you want to survive.

Rockets 120, Jazz 99 - Didn't Even Matter

By Forrest Walker on December 18, 2017
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The Utah Jazz had won two of three quarters and led going into the fourth. They had harried and frustrated the Houston Rockets all night, and led by eight with just under ten minutes left in the game. The Jazz had dragged themselves into the final furlong against the white-hot Rockets. They give it their all. They nearly got there. But in the end, it didn't even matter. The Rockets won by 21.

Rockets 112, Jazz 101 - Not Good Enough

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz have shown themselves to be a good basketball team. They had won six games in a row before a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder heading into their appointment with the Houston Rockets. They'd lifted their margin of victory to over 4.5 points per game, a very solid number indicative of a solid playoff team. After a string of weak opponents, they had a chance to slow down the Houston Rockets train, perhaps even hand them their first loss in 8 games. Unfortunately for the Jazz, they just weren't good enough. But in losing by a mere 11 points, the Jazz showed the Rockets that they may not be good enough either.

Rockets 137, Jazz 110 - Harden's Brilliance Tunes Out the Jazz

That James Harden fella is pretty good at basketball, huh?

In a brilliant performance in front of the Houston faithful, ‘The Beard’ was just one point shy of breaking Calvin Murphy’s single game record for points scored when he was subbed out to call it a night. Harden scored 56 points on an incredibly efficient 25 shots. His 76% shooting included seven made threes on eight attempts, and would’ve been much higher had he not forced three shots early in the fourth quarter in his quest to break the record.

Alas, Harden couldn’t break the record. Instead, he delivered a rather easy victory against one of the better defenses in basketball. In addition to his scoring frenzy, he also dished out 13 assists and held onto a plus-minus of +25. Needless to say, tonight’s game ball goes to Calvin Murphy, who only held onto his record because the Rockets beat the Jazz by 27 points.

The Rockets offense was clicking on all cylinders, thanks to Harden setting the tone. Eric Gordon continued to defend his Sixth Man of the Year crown with 20 points, Trevor Ariza scored 14, and Nene chipped in 13 off the bench. The Rockets as a whole hit 23 threes on a 100% totally, completely sustainable 59% shooting.

In the end, the Rockets picked up another victory and, more importantly, more rhythm with Chris Paul still sidelined with a knee bruise. The Rockets have faced a pretty easy schedule so far, and will have a full three days off before taking on LeBron James and the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night on TNT.

Jazz 115, Rockets 108 - Hit Your Shots

The Utah Jazz seem to be poisonous to the Houston Rockets. Much like last time the two teams faced off, the Jazz looked like an elite team with deadeye shooters, and the Rockets looked like an overachiever who hit a brick wall. Both sides were missing key players (Derrick Favors, George Hill for Utah, Ryan Anderson for Houston), but the biggest no-show on the night was Houston's shooting stroke, embodied by James Harden's disastrous 0-8 showing from behind the arc. The Rockets have to hit their shots to win against quality opponents. It's meaningless, but also true.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz

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Coming off of a close loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Rockets head back home to take on the Utah Jazz for the third time this season. The Rockets will be looking to bounce back after losing their heartbreaking two point loss, having now won seven of their last ten. The Rockets are led in scoring, assists and rebounds by none other than James Harden at 29 points, 11.3 assists, and 8 rebounds per game. The Rockets are ranked 2nd in offensive rating, 15th in defensive rating, and 3rd in overall net rating.

The Jazz have hit a bit of a bump in the road, losing four out of their last ten and just squeaking out wins against the Kings and Pelicans. They are right behind the Rockets at 4th in the West, but have significant ground to make up, four games back from the Rockets at 40-24. The Jazz are led in scoring by Gordon Hayward at 22.1 points, in assists by George Hill, at 4.3 assists, and in rebounding by Rudy Gobert, who pulls in 12.8 rebounds per game. The Jazz currently rank 13th in offensive rating, 3rd in defensive rating, and just behind the Rockets at 4th in net rating.

Starting Lineups

During the second half of Monday's game, Ryan Anderson had to leave the action with a tight lower back, and will likely sit out of Wednesday's game. The Rockets will likely start James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Sam Dekker at power forward, and Clint Capela at center to start the game, with competing Sixth Man of the Year candidates Eric Gordon and Lou Williams, being the first guys off the bench.

The Jazz continue to be struck by injuries, with George Hill (toe), Derrick Favors (knee) and Joe Johnson (groin) all game time decisions, with Sheldon Mack (ankle) likely out. The first five we will likely see from the Jazz are George Hill at point guard,Rodney Hood at shooting guard, Gordon Hayward at small forward, Derrick Favors at power forward, and Rudy Gobert at center. Expect Dante Exum to replace Hill, and Joe Ingles or Boris Diaw to replace Favors if either are unable to go.

Three Things to Watch

• Control the Pace – The Jazz and Rockets play at drastically different paces, the Rockets' at 101.9 possessions per game vs the Jazz 93.7. In the Rockets win over the Jazz the game was played at a pace of 95.1 possessions, low but higher than the norm for Utah, while in their loss the Rockets were forced into a crawl, at 91.7 possessions. Watch to see if the Rockets are able to play their game and get out in transition, speeding the Jazz up, as whichever team controls the pace will probably win.


• Adjustments to be Made – One of the reasons the Rockets struggled so mightily against the Jazz in their last match up was the ability of the Jazz to defend Harden-Capela pick and rolls with only two defenders, Hill and Gobert. Watch to see how the Rockets are able to adjust to the Jazz suffocating pick and roll defense and if they try to run more action away from the ball.


• Force Turnovers – So far on the season the Jazz rank just 22nd among offenses at avoiding turnovers. If the Rockets are able to play passing lanes and create havoc on defense, it will lead to easy baskets and a sped up game against the 3rd best defense in the league. Watch to see if the Rockets up their aggressive schemes and take risks on defense in order to prop up the teams offense.

Prediction and Tip-Off

I think the Rockets are the better team, but do not match up well against the Jazz. Despite the match up concerns I believe the Rockets will be able to pull out a victory over this banged up version of the Jazz.

Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time in Houston on Wednesday, March 8th. The game will be televised on ROOTSPORTS with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Rockets 101, Jazz 120 - Rockets 'Steiffeled' in Utah

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On Tuesday, the Rockets traveled to Salt Lake City to take on a team that has historically been a rival – the Utah Jazz. From Karl Malone and John Stockton to Deron Williams and Paul Millsap, the Rockets have had their dealings with the Jazz. This year looks to be no different as both teams have similar talent levels and figure to be fighting for Playoff seeding before the 2016-2017 campaign is over. The Rockets have already beat the Jazz this season, winning a matchup in Houston 111-102, but Utah got swift revenge tonight.

The Rockets picked up where they left off on Sunday (where they handily beat the Portland Trailblazers) and got off to a hot start. They went on a 16-9 run in the first four minutes of the game, getting scoring contributions from all five starters. The Jazz called timeout and things went downhill fast for Houston.

Rodney Hood was scorching hot in the opening period, scoring 13 points on 83% shooting and nailing all three attempts behind the arc. Hood’s hot shooting set the tone for Utah to drain almost every shot they took – a bold strategy, to be sure. The Jazz made the first six threes they attempted and shot 75% from the field in the opening quarter, cruising to a 38-29 lead at the end of the quarter.

Houston’s struggled to get any good offense going, and missed shots when opportunities were presented. In the first half, the Rockets only made four of their 17 attempts from downtown (23.5%) and the Jazz pushed the lead up to 15 midway through the second quarter. Frustration started to mount, evidenced by Patrick Beverley earning a technical foul for aggressively playing after the whistle.

Despite the Rockets arctic first half, they caught a slight rhythm before the end of the second period and played better defense (any defense would have been better defense). After fouling Gordon Hayward on a three-point attempt, the Rockets went into halftime down 62-50. Houston’s only standout offensively was Ryan Anderson who scored 10 points on 67% shooting. Utah, on the other hand, boasted great first half stat lines from Hayward (12 points, five rebounds, four assists), Rudy Gobert (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Hood (15 points).

The Rockets could not execute any halftime adjustments in the second half as the Jazz went on a 14-7 run to push the lead up to 17. The Jazz thwarted the Rockets game plan anytime it seemed like they were going to make a run and get themselves back into this game – mostly by getting to the foul line. In fact, the Jazz shot 18 free throws in the third quarter alone (making 15 of them). Despite a personal 7-0 run from Eric Gordon at the end of the quarter, the Rockets found themselves down 85-73 by the end of the period.

The Rockets were down, but not out, at the start of the fourth quarter and actually managed to cut the lead to single-digits. Then everything fell apart and the Rockets were not only down and out, but buried six feet underground. Utah continued their extremely hot shooting from downtown as Joe Johnson sank back-to-back, and Joe Ingles nailed a dagger into the coffin of this game. The Jazz were up 19 with six minutes left, THEN Gordon Hayward went off on a scoring binge. He finished the game with 31 points on 50% shooting, seven rebounds and five assists.

Rudy Gobert was huge in completely shutting the Rockets down in the second half. His defense was absolutely phenomenal (reminiscent of Dwight Howard back in the Orlando days) as he shut down the paint, altered every shot that came his way, indulged on every rebound, and even stepped out onto the perimeter to disrupt Houston’s offense. The ‘Steiffel Tower’ thoroughly eclipsed Clint Capela on Tuesday and finished with 16 points on 71% shooting and 14 rebounds.

*Jaw hits floor*#HOUatUTA #takenote pic.twitter.com/1ypgtn9F8n

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 30, 2016

This season, Utah averages a modest 8.5 threes per game on 33% shooting. Tonight, the Jazz hit 15 of their 28 attempts (54%) so this game was clearly an aberration. Also, they only forced Houston to turn the ball over seven times – not something that you’d expect in a game in which the Rockets got blown out. However, the Jazz just absolutely out-executed the Rockets. They got (and made) better shots, played smarter, and locked down the paint defensively. This was a good win for Utah and a bad loss for Houston.

The Rockets close this road trip out in brutal fashion this week when they head to Oracle Arena on Thursday to play the Golden State Warriors, followed by a game in Denver against the Nuggets on Friday.

Game Ball

This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.

For the second straight game, the game ball goes to Eric Gordon.

If we’re being honest here, nobody wearing the slick black alternate uniforms deserves to get the game ball this time. I was tempted to give the ball to Rudy Gobert, but I wasn’t going to set that precedent for this section of the recaps.

Despite getting off to a rocky start, Gordon got hot in the second half and even scored nine straight for Houston towards the end of the third period. He finished the game with 24 points on 45% shooting from downtown. Let’s just hope he continues to build on this.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz

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After a high scoring win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Rockets continue their road trip in Utah to take on the Jazz. James Harden leads the Rockets in both scoring and assists, at 28.9 points and 12.2 assists per game, while they are led in rebounds by Clint Capela, who is at 8.7 a game. Going into Tuesday’s game, the Rockets rank 4th in offensive rating, 24th in defensive rating, and 8th in net rating.

The Jazz have struggled with injuries early, with three out of their five starters missing time. Due to these injuries, the Jazz have been slightly disappointing, sitting at 10-8. The Jazz are lead in points and assists by George Hill, who averages 20.9 and 4.2 respectively, and in rebounds by Rudy Gobert, who averages 10.6 rebounds a game. The Jazz rank 13th in offensive rating, 3rd in defensive rating, and 6th in net rating.

Starting Lineups

The Rockets are likely to continue to start with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes.

With Derrick Favors sidelined for an undetermined amount of time (knee injury), the Jazz have had to find someone to step into his role as the starting power forward. The Jazz are likely to start George Hill at point guard, Rodney Hood at shooting guard, Gordon Hayward at small forward, Boris Diaw at power forward, and Rudy Gobert at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Rematch- As part of their road trip, the Rockets take on the Jazz for the second time this season, but this time the Jazz are a little bit more healthy, with George Hill and Boris Diaw in the game. Watch to see how the Rockets match up with a team that could end up fighting with them for the final home court spot in the playoffs the second time, and with one of their top players back in the game.
  


• Turnovers- As we all know, the Rockets struggle with turnovers, ranking 27th in turnover rate, but luckily for Houston, the Jazz may be even worse at creating turnovers than the Rockets are at preventing them, ranking 28th in opponent turnover rate. Watch to see who wins the turnover battle.
  


• Bench Improvement- Since the departure of Tyler Ennis from the rotation, the Rockets have had a competent bench. With Harden is off the court, the Rockets are now 18.4 points per 100 possessions worse, which isn't good, but is a major improvement over the beginning of the season, where they were over 30 points per 100 possessions worse. Watch to see if the tightened rotation and better play of the bench allow for Harden to rest more.
  

Prediction and Tip-Off

This is a game that can go either way; the Jazz are a good team that is at home, but they also played in Minnesota just the night before. I predict the Rockets lose in a tight one, but I would not be surprised if the Rockets win.

Tip-off will be at 8:00 P.M. Central Time at the Vivint Smart Home Arena (terrible arena name) in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, November 29th. The game will be televised on ROOT Sports and NBA TV, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz

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After an encouraging blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Rockets move to 7-5 on the young season, as they prepare to take on the Utah Jazz. After Thursday's game, the Rockets are ranked 21st in defensive rating, 5th in offensive rating, and 11th in net rating. The Rockets are now led by James Harden in points (28.5 a game), and assists (12.8 a game), while Clint Capela is leading the team in rebounds (8.6 per game).

The Utah Jazz are sitting at 7-6 on the season, which is a bit surprising, given their preseason expectations. Despite their record, the Jazz have played like one of the NBA's best, ranking 5th in defensive rating, 13th in offensive rating, and 10th in net rating. The Jazz are led in points by Gordon Hayward and George Hill (tied at 20.4 per game), in assists by George Hill (5 per game), and in rebounds by Rudy Gobert (10.5 per game).

Starting Lineups

After missing the first 11 games with a knee injury, Patrick Beverley returned to the starting lineup and played well (11 points, three assists, and two rebounds, to go with three blocks), so don't expect that to change. The Rockets are likely to start Saturday's game with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center.

After an injury plagued season last year, the Jazz appear to have hit the same bad luck with starting power forward Derrick Favors out indefinitely, and starting point guard George Hill questionable for Saturday's game. I would expect to see George Hill at point guard, Rodney Hood at shooting guard, Gordon Hayward at small forward, Boris Diaw at power forward, and Rudy Gobert at center, with Dante Exum taking Hill's place if he isn't healthy enough to play.

Three Things to Watch

• Rebounding from last year - Last season was a disaster in many ways, one of the biggest was rebounding. Last season, even with Dwight Howard in the middle, the Rockets were dead last in Defensive Rebounding Percentage. However, they are tied for 10th in the NBA this season, a remarkable turnaround. Watch to see if the Rockets can keep limiting teams to one possession by cleaning up the defensive glass.


• Capela on the rise - Over the last 4 games, Clint Capela is averaging 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.75 blocks in just under 26 minutes a game, while shooting 60.6% from the field and 72.7% from the free throw line. Watch to see if Clint has really taken the next step in becoming a top flight starting center.
  


• 4th quarter troubles - Despite being 5th in total offensive rating, the Rockets have the second lowest offensive rating in the league in the fourth quarter (89.9 points per 100 possessions), which is embarrassing compared to their 108.9 rating overall. Watch to see if the Rockets can fix their late game problems in what looks likely to be a close game on Saturday.
  

Prediction and Tip-Off

This is another very hard game to predict with both teams playing well and having the same amount of rest. I will predict another Rockets win, due to home court advantage and shaky health for the Jazz, moving the Rockets up to a 8-5 record on the season.

Tip-off will be early at 4:00 P.M. Central Time in the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, November 19th. It will be televised on ROOT Sports with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.