The Houston Rockets wrapped up a tough seven-game stretch across the All-Star break at 3-4. It started poorly with two bad losses, but after a bit of recovery, Rockets fans should feel like there was meat left on the bone in losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
On paper, tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz should be a welcome reprieve from the difficult games of the past few weeks. However, these Rockets have played up and down to their competition all year. In fact, Houston already has a loss to these Jazz, who have played Houston tougher than they have against anyone else over the past two years. Seriously, watch the Jazz against another playoff team and you’ll see a team that can’t wait to roll over and tank. Against Houston? For some reason, it’s personal for this iteration of Utah.
Maybe the Rockets will play hard in the fourth quarter tonight, since that’s been Ime Udoka’s solution to all of Houston’s poor fourth quarters. Not, you know, his poor rotation choices and lack of any offensive game plan beyond “Give the ball to Kevin and hope.”
Tip-off
8:30pm CT
How To Watch
Space City Home Network and Peacock
Injury Report
Rockets
Steven Adams: OUT
Fred VanVleet: OUT
Jazz
Jaren Jackson Jr.: OUT
Lauri Markkanen: GTD
Keyonte George: GTD
Jusuf Nurkic: OUT
Walker Kessler: OUT
The Line (as of this post)
HOU -14.5
Check here for updates
Looking ahead because we can
Wednesday night at home against the Sacramento Kings