Jazz Fall, Allow Rockets Guards Harden, Westbrook To Combine For 72 Points
Feb 22, 2020, 9:49 PM | Updated: 9:50 pm
James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets shoots over Royce O'Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz during a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 22, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Jazz allowed NBA All-Stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook to score a combined 72 points in leading the Houston Rockets to a 120-110 win over Utah.
The Jazz hosted the Rockets at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Saturday, February 22.
Utah was unable to contain Houston’s two stars and suffered its second game in as many nights in Salt Lake City.
Beard ⬆️
Brodie ⬇️📲💻: https://t.co/UzQ2xx35my pic.twitter.com/ZQfRY0WFEW
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2020
Blasted By Rockets’ Stars
Harden, an NBA MVP candidate, carried Houston with a game-high 38 points on 13-23 shooting. He made six three-pointers on 11 attempts from behind the arc and connected on 6-9 shots from the free-throw line. Harden added 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and a block in 37 minutes of play. He posted a game-high plus-minus rating of +24.
Westbrook played Robin to Harden’s Batman role in Houston’s 10 point victory. He scored 34 points on 14-26 field goals including 2-4 from downtown. Westbrook added 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal in 39 minutes on the court.
Houston finished the game shooting 48.9 percent overall and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. During the first half, the Rockets connected on eight consecutive three-point shots.
Collapsing Third Quarter
Utah closed the game shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from deep.
The Jazz were led by Donovan Mitchell’s 31 points on 12-24 field goals. Mitchell did he best to carry a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter after Utah allowed Houston to come back from a four-point halftime deficit. The Rockets outscored the Jazz 38-19 in the third quarter and Utah struggled to fight back in the final 12 minutes despite winning the fourth quarter by five points.
Spida's got 25 pic.twitter.com/PnuJ14BrZF
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 23, 2020
Mitchell added 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 minutes.
Jordan Clarkson came off the bench to score 22 points on 10-16 shooting. He added 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and a steal in 27 minutes.
What It Means
With the win, the Rockets moved ahead of the Jazz in the Western Conference standings. Both teams sit at 36-20 on the season, However, Houston now owns a 2-1 advantage over Utah in the season series.
The Jazz fell to fifth place in the West with the loss. Utah has now dropped two straight games after a four-game winning streak.
Brutal 24 hours for the Utah Jazz. They lose two straight on their home court, they've lost 7 of their last 11, they lose the tiebreaker to the Rockets and drop to 5th in the West.
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) February 23, 2020
Utah owns a 20-7 record at home.
Up Next
Up next for the Jazz is a meeting with the Phoenix Suns. The Jazz hosted the Suns in the third game of a five-game homestand on Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m. (MDT). Phoenix owns a 23-24 overall record and is 12-16 away from the Valley of the Sun.
