Utah’s attempt to avenge Monday’s loss to the Rockets fell just short as the Jazz were within striking distance in the final minute before Houston escaped with a 103-94 win Thursday night.
Gordon Hayward scored a team-high 15 points for the Jazz, and Trevor Booker came off the bench to add 12 points and nine rebounds.
Chris Johnson (11 points), Trey Burke (10 points) and Rodney Hood (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Jazz.
Hood scored all 10 of his points in the first half before injuring his ankle when he landed on James Harden’s foot on a 3-point attempt early in the third quarter. He did not return to the game.
Derrick Favors (back) missed his eighth straight game.
Harden got to the rim at will, finishing with a game-high 33 points on an efficient 13-for-25 shooting. Terrence Jones added 14 points for the Rockets (18-19), who played without Dwight Howard (back).
Thursday’s Best
The most important moment of the night happened with 7:18 left in the first quarter when Rudy Gobert checked into the game for the Jazz. After missing 18 games with a sprained MCL, Gobert got back in the flow of things quickly, throwing down two monster dunks and making his presence felt on defense (even though he didn’t register a block). He finishied with six points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.
Key Stretch
After scoring only 39 points in the first half, the Rockets opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run to take a two-point lead. Combined with Hood’s injury during that stretch, that run swung the momentum Houston’s way for good. The Rockets eventually built an eight-point lead later in the quarter and forced Utah to play from behind the rest of the game.
Significant Stat
The Jazz struggled to protect the ball tonight, committing 19 turnovers (which led to 16 Houston points). The Jazz also committed 19 turnovers last night in San Antonio.
Coach’s Quote of the Night
“It was good to see [Rudy] out there. He plays with emotion. … Even though it was for a short period of time, I think he was excited to play. Gradually we’ll get him back for longer periods of time when he can have a greater impact on the game.”
–Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
Notable
Raul Neto dished a team-high seven assists for the Jazz. … Trey Lyles finished with two steals and two blocks (both career highs) along with nine points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes. … Johnson fouled out in 19 minutes. He was guarding Harden. … As a team, the Jazz finished with 25 assists–seven more than their season average.
Up Next
The Jazz will return home to take on the Miami Heat on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.
