There’s not too many more satisfying things as a Houston Rockets fan (especially one that’s been around a while) as a blowout victory over the Utah Jazz. And that’s exactly what we got today, as the Rockets trampled over Utah 129-101 behind Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun.
Durant played his first game back since missing two games for personal reasons, and he didn’t miss a beat, going off for 25 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a block while shooting 10-for-14 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep. He only had to play 30 minutes due to the blowout.
Sengun was Houston’s leading scorer, with 28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. He was 10-for-15 from the field and 7-for-9 from the foul line. Alpie did his damage in just 28 minutes of court time. When these two have it rolling like that, the Rockets are tough to beat.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points, and Steven Adams had 13 points, 12 boards, a steal and a block in only 17 minutes of action. He dominated the game physically during his time on the court, finishing a +24 in those limited minutes.
Reed Sheppard was officially in the starting lineup for the Rockets, and he finished with 9 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, showing his can contribute in a multitude of ways, even when he’s not scoring a ton. He was efficient, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and 1-for-3 from deep. He played 31 minutes and was tied for game-high with +33.
Houston shot 53 percent as a team and outrebounded the Jazz 50-33, as the Rockets were able to clear the bench in the fourth quarter.
The Jazz were led by Ace Bailey with 19 points and Lauri Markkanen with 18.
The Rockets now move to 13-4 and have won three game in a row. They’ll be back in action again tomorrow for the first back-to-back of the year, once again in Utah against the Jazz. That’s a dangerous game for an emotional letdown after tonight’s easy blow out win. Let’s see if the Rockets can maintain their focus as the clearly superior team.