The Utah Jazz will be back in action when they host the Houston Rockets tonight in a game with major playoff implications. With fewer than 30 games left in the season, the Rockets are sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference standings–just half a game ahead of the Jazz.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.
Superstar guard James Harden leads the Rockets in points (28.0) and assists (7.0), and also averages 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard starts at center, while Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverley and Josh Smith round out Houston’s starting five.
Corey Brewer, Ty Lawson, Clint Capela, Jason Terry and Montrezl Harrell are Houston’s key reserves.
The Rockets (28-28) beat Phoenix on Friday to open up their post All-Star break schedule. They had lost three straight games–and six out of their last eight–prior to that victory.
The Jazz are coming off an up-and-down weekend. They beat Boston 111-93 Friday night in Salt Lake City in an exciting game that was televised nationally on ESPN, but they fell to the red-hot Trail Blazers 115-111 Sunday night in Portland.
Gordon Hayward (19.9 ppg) leads the team in scoring, while Derrick Favors has averaged 20.2 points over his last five games. Point guard Shelvin Mack, who was acquired from Atlanta prior to last Thursday’s trade deadline, scored 16 points and dished six assists on Sunday in his first game with the Jazz (27-28).
Rodney Hood has made at least one 3-pointer in his last 26 games.
Tonight’s game will be broadcast nationally on ROOT SPORTS (Xfinity–693, DirecTV–683.1, Dish–452, Hopper–412-40). TV coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. MT.
You can also listen to the game on the Utah Jazz mobile app, which is available for iPhone and Android.*
*Audio begins at tipoff and is limited to a 75-mile radius of Salt Lake City.
