Source: SLC Dunk
The Utah Jazz roster and fanbase are ecstatic after last night’s overtime victory, and they’ll finish the road trip in Houston looking for their fourth straight victory.
After winning their second straight game in overtime last night against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Utah Jazz, who have been on a roll, play the Houston Rockets tonight to finish their three-game road trip.
The 3-0 Jazz have surprised the league and their fans by defeating three West contenders in the first three games of the season and playing an exciting brand of basketball: aggressive defense forcing turnovers, tonnes of threes, and a lot of trust and try-hard.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are 0-3 despite some talk of the team exceeding expectations, with sophomores Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun looking to take the team to the next level alongside exciting rookies Jabari Smith and Tariq Owens.
Two teams that are expected to lose but are seeing different results from rosters full of youth and experience will face off tonight in Houston. It should be a good time!
Seasonal Performance
The Houston Rockets have had terrible 3P luck, which is unfortunate. In their most recent games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks, they had exceptional shooting nights with 15+ triples and 40%+ shooting in each.
According to Cleaning the Glass, they currently rank very last in defense. They rank third worst in opponent efficiency off steals, making them particularly vulnerable when defending in transition.
Aside from their excellent board protection on both ends and their lack of fouls, not much is going right for them.
Jalen Green is the Rockets’ offensive leader, averaging 12.5 more true shooting attempts per game than the league average while shooting 1.7% fewer true shots. Expect him to make a lot of three-pointers and use his exceptional athleticism to get to the basket.
The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, has the sixth-best offense in the NBA and the fourteenth-best defense. They’ve made a name for themselves by crashing the offensive boards and forcing turnovers on defense.
Jalen Green is the Rockets’ offensive leader, averaging 12.5 more true shooting attempts per game than the league average while shooting 1.7% fewer true shots. Expect him to make a lot of three-pointers and use his exceptional athleticism to get to the basket.
The Utah Jazz, on the other hand, has the sixth-best offense in the NBA and the fourteenth-best defense. They’ve made a name for themselves by crashing the offensive boards and forcing turnovers on defense.
Availability
According to NBA.com, the Houston Rockets will be missing three players at 9:30 a.m.:
1. Jae’Sean Tate, a versatile big man, is out with a sprained left ankle.
2.TyTy Washington Jr., a rookie guard, has a sprained left knee.
3. Center Bruno Fernando is suffering from left knee pain.
So far, only Fernando has appeared for the Rockets, displaying rebounding and passing ability against the Atlanta Hawks. Tate is a primary defender for the Rockets and an important part of their transition game.
As of this morning, the Utah Jazz had no reported absences for the game, though Udoka Azubuike is a likely scratch.
