The Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz both come into Sunday’s matinee in Salt Lake City riding some positive momentum.
Houston, powered by one of the best offenses in the league, continued to show why they came into the season with high expectations, winning seven of their last eight games, including a comeback win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
“We have depth and we play to a standard regardless of who is in or out,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. “Our depth is there. Different guys come in and contribute and it’s going to be exciting when we get healthy and whole.”
The Rockets will get another big boost on Sunday as they’re expected to get star forward Kevin Durant back in the lineup. Durant missed the team’s last two games as he attended a family matter.
In his absence, second-year guard Reed Sheppard stepped up in a big way. Sheppard had a career-high 31 points in the Rockets’ win over the Warriors, further showcasing Houston’s depth.
“Yeah, he was big,” Udoka said after Wednesday’s win. “On a night where we don’t shoot our best by any means, his baskets were needed. Reed really held us together when guys were struggling.”
Houston hasn’t struggled much this season. Over their last eight games, the Rockets are averaging 119.3 points per game and have won their last seven contests by an average margin of 13.4 in the seven wins during that span.
The Jazz, on the other hand, are continuing to evaluate their young players and there’s a lot to be excited about. Utah snapped its four-game losing streak on Friday with a 128-119 win over the Sacramento Kings.
“For the majority of the game our defense was high level,” said Jazz head coach Will Hardy. “Overall I thought it was a really good all-around team win. Proud of our guys.”
Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen continued their impressive individual seasons against Sacramento. George had 31 points and Markkanen added 28. Those two players will be critical in the Jazz’s rebuild and against the Rockets on Sunday.
“I think (Markannen), he’s just not a three-point shooter and I think that’s where he’s shown a ton of growth,” Hardy said. “His cutting is so high level. He’s a big target. I think our team does a great job of finding him over the top. He plays physically going downhill without trying to bait fouls.
The Jazz have been a much better team at home than on the road. Five of Utah’s six wins have come in Salt Lake City as opposed to its 1-7 record on the road.
