Houston Rockets (35-21) beat Utah Jazz (18-40) 125-105 at home on Monday, February 23. The final margin was 20 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets struck first, taking the opening quarter 38-22 and a 16-point lead after one. The Rockets kept the pressure on with a 30-25 second quarter, carrying a 21-point lead into halftime.
The Rockets won the third 32-28 to create some separation, taking a 25-point lead into the fourth. The Jazz took the fourth 30-25; the Rockets held on for a 125-105 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Rockets got more from their shots, finishing at 67.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 40.8% for the Jazz. The Rockets grabbed 30.3% of their own misses, while the Jazz recovered 23.2%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Jazz did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 10.1 against 24.3. The Rockets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 108 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 115.7 points per 100 possessions to 97.2 for the Jazz.
The Rockets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 29-16.
Who stood out
Jabari Smith Jr. was the game's biggest individual force for HOU: 31 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk on 12-17 shooting. His Game Score of 26.5 led everyone. His team was +28 with him on the floor.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Jazz with 26 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast on 10-15 shooting, good for a 20.4 Game Score.
Kevin Durant (18 pts, 5 reb, 12 ast) and Tari Eason (11 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Rockets about a 89% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Houston Rockets lead 3-2.
The Rockets are now 35-21, and the Jazz are 18-40. The Rockets last five before this game: W-W-L-W-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.