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The Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz will lock horns with each other for an enticing 2021-22 NBA season game at Vivint Arena on Wednesday.
The Rockets are coming off a 118-112 win over the Sacramento Kings. It was their second win in three games. Meanwhile, the Jazz are coming off a 95-101 loss against the LA Lakers, their fifth defeat in six games.
Match Details
Fixture: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 19; 8:30 PM ET (Thursday, January 20; 7:00 AM IST).
Venue: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT.
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets have been in dismal form since their seven-game winning run was snapped on December 10 by the Milwaukee Bucks. They have won just five of their 21 games since then.
They had a defensive rating of 121 during that period, the worst in the league. Houston had to bank on their offense again to record a win against the Sacramento Kings. Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood scored 23 points apiece, while four other players also recorded double-digit scores.
The Houston Rockets shot an impressive 53.9% from the field, making 16 3-point field goals on the night. They turned the ball over 22 times, though, which is something they will have to limit against the Utah Jazz.
Houston will also have to show more effort on defense to prevail against the #1 offensive team this season. It will be interesting to see if they can capitalize on Utah's lack of form entering this game and cause an upset.
Key Player - Christian Wood
Houston Rockets center Christian Wood will be up against reigning DPOY Rudy Gobert when the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz go head-to-head. Gobert has been in scintillating form thus far. Limiting him will be key to the Rockets' registering a surprise win.
Wood will have to make sure he anchors the team's defense well from the post as the Jazz are lethal scoring inside the paint and from long-range.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
G - Kevin Porter Jr.; G - Jalen Green; F - Eric Gordon; F - Jae'Sean Tate; C - Christian Wood.
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz will be glad to be back home after an underwhelming six-game road trip. A change of surroundings could do the trick for Quin Snyder's men, who have struggled for consistency on both ends of the floor.
The Jazz seemed to have run out of gas on the second night of a back-to-back set during their previous outing against the Lakeshow. They still had an excellent chance to win, though, but they could not capitalize on it as they were forced to find scoring opportunities from the perimeter by LA's surprisingly stellar defense.
The Jazz need to do a better job of making adjustments mid-game. They have the squad depth and versatility to make that happen, but they fail to implement those changes when needed. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of time left for them to rectify these errors.
They will be keen to gain some momentum with a win against the bottom-ranked Rockets in their first game back at home since January 3.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell had a forgettable outing in his last game against the Lakers. The shooting guard scored only 13 points on six of 19 shooting from the floor as he failed to convert a single shot from the arc on eight attempts. Mitchell will be keen to bounce back and lead his team to a much-needed win against the Rockets.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley; G - Donovan Mitchell; F - Bojan Bogdanovic; F - Royce O'Neale; C - Rudy Gobert.
Rockets vs Jazz Match Prediction
Despite the Utah Jazz's dismal form of late, they will be the overwhelming favorites to win against the Rockets. They are a stronger team on paper, and have been in better form overall this season. The Jazz will also have a homecourt advantage, so their odds of winning this game will be high.
Where to watch Rockets vs Jazz
The game between the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz will be televised locally by AT&T Sports Rocky Mountain and AT&T Sports Southwest. Fans can also watch the match online via NBA League Pass.
Guess the Lakers players!
