The Houston Rockets defeated the Utah Jazz 140-127 on Wednesday at Toyota Center. Kevin Durant scored 20 points in his preseason debut for the Rockets.
Utah led 25-23 after the first quarter behind Ace Bailey’s 25 points. Keyonte George added 16 points and nine assists for the visitors.
Houston responded with 44 points in the second to take a 67-61 halftime lead. Jabari Smith Jr. tallied 18 points, including three three-pointers.
Lauri Markkanen sat out with a left wrist injury for the Jazz. Walker Kessler missed the game due to a left foot issue.
The third quarter saw both teams score 40 points apiece. Amen Thompson contributed 19 points and six assists for the Rockets.
Alperen Sengun recorded 13 points and 13 assists in 28 minutes. Reed Sheppard added 11 points off the bench.
Utah pulled within six late in the third on a three-pointer from Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh finished with 24 points.
The fourth quarter stayed competitive until Houston’s bench erupted for 28 points. Jeff Green scored 10 points in limited action.
Bailey led all scorers with 25 points for the Jazz. Taylor Hendricks added 15 points and four three-pointers.
Jusuf Nurkic posted 12 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Kevin Love tallied 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Rockets shot 53.6% from the field and scored 70 points in the paint. Houston forced 20 turnovers while committing 13.
Utah connected on 56.2% of attempts and grabbed 35 rebounds. The Jazz scored 46 points inside.
Durant grabbed two rebounds and dished one assist in 23 minutes. Smith Jr. added three rebounds.
Thompson collected seven rebounds to go with his scoring. Sengun blocked no shots but anchored the interior.
George dished nine assists despite the loss. Bailey grabbed six rebounds.
Sensabaugh drained six threes in 26 minutes. Nurkic had seven assists.
The Rockets’ depth shone with 47 total rebounds. Utah’s bench produced 72 points.
This victory moves Houston to 2-0 in preseason. The Jazz drop to 0-1 as both teams fine-tune rotations.
