The Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets 133-125 on Monday night at Delta Center, handing Houston their first back-to-back loss of the season.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka cited Utah’s physicality as a key factor: “Played harder from the beginning… they were the aggressor. Markkanen and George were able to get going.”
Udoka acknowledged defensive lapses but emphasized effort: “We lost them a few times… didn’t communicate on them in the zone a few times, but other than that, they were aggressive on both ends, putting their head down.”
He highlighted the challenge of matching intensity, especially with Kevin Durant on the roster: “A team you beat by 30 the previous night is going to come out with some intensity… we didn’t match that in the first half, and the third quarter wasn’t much better.”
Jae’Sean Tate’s contributions stood out, according to Udoka: “Physicality was great… five offensive rebounds in his minutes, just brought a level of physicality that we didn’t have.”
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 31 points and 14 assists, while Durant added 32 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, but the Rockets could not overcome Utah’s dominance on the boards and second-chance points.
Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Jazz, while Keyonte George added 28 points, eight assists, and hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
Utah shot 50 percent overall, including 40 percent from three, and totaled 50 rebounds, using fast-break points and physical play to control the game. Houston shot 44 percent, made 29 free throws, but struggled with 24 second-chance points allowed.
Udoka reflected on the team’s adjustment challenges: “It’s the first back-to-back of the year… you can’t make an excuse for that. We didn’t have the same juice, so wanted to get a little spark, and they brought that.”
The Jazz improve to 7-13, winning consecutive home games, while the Rockets fall to 13-5. Utah will face the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, and Houston hosts the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
