Defense Moves Jazz To 4-0 For First Time Since 2008

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz are 4-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season after knocking off the Houston Rockets 122-90 on Thursday.

The Jazz were led by Bojan Bogdanovic who scored 19 points while seven players finished in double figures to lead the team to an easy victory.

The Rockets fell to 1-4 on the season despite 16 points from forward Christian Wood.

The @utahjazz dominate the @HoustonRockets and improve to 4-0. 🔥🎷🏀#TakeNote https://t.co/wK5sayChFb

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 29, 2021

Jazz 4-0 For First Time In More Than A Decade

The Jazz are undefeated through four games for the first time since Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Mehmet Okur were in uniform after taking down the Rockets.

The 08-09 Jazz moved to 5-0 before losing four of their next five games amid a long east coast road trip before finishing the season with a solid but unspectacular 48-34 record.

These Jazz will look to avoid a similar fate as each of their next six games will be played in a different city, with only one game being played at home.

After blowing out the much younger Rockets, the Jazz rushed to leave Houston to beat an incoming storm, and give themselves ample time to prepare for a set of back-to-back games against the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and Sunday.

The @UtahJazz are 4-0 to start the season for the first time since starting 5-0 in the 2008-09 season.#TakeNote l @KSLSports

— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_KSL) October 29, 2021

The Jazz easily took care of the Rockets thanks to a balanced effort throughout the roster. The team’s starters combined for 63 points while the bench added 59 as the Jazz led by Rockets by double-digits over the final 37 minutes of the game.

Rudy Gobert added his fourth consecutive double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds while Jordan Clarkson contributed 16 off the bench as the Jazz kicked off their three-game road trip with a win.

Jazz Defense Stimies Rockets Young Roster

Though the Rockets lack veteran experience, they have a series of talented young players sprinkled throughout the roster.

The Jazz made sure no player on the Rockets had an easy night after limiting the young roster to just 31-95 shooting (32 percent) and 9-44 from the three (20 percent).

“We didn’t let them get too deep, or get angles and penetration,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of his team’s defense.”They’re going to get some shots because they’re big and they know how to create a shot.”

Easily the best sequence of the season for Hassan Whiteside.

He's getting more comfortable in a @utahjazz uniform. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/rfKTvL9HSf

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 29, 2021

Every Rockets starter was held below 50 percent shooting for the night and only three Rockets players scored in double-digits as the team failed to reach the 100 point mark for the second time in the last three games.

Second overall pick Jalen Green scored 13 points but shot just 3-16 from the field while Kevin Porter Jr. made just 1-3 attempts before leaving the game at halftime with an ankle injury.

In total, the Rockets starters combined to shoot just 15-51 for 29 percent in the loss.

Jazz Bulls Won’t Be Battle Of Undefeated Teams

While the Jazz made sure they were undefeated heading into their matchup with Chicago, the Bulls fell short of matching the Jazz blemish-free record.

The Bulls fell to the New York Knicks in Chicago despite racing back from a 13 point deficit with just three minutes left to play.

The previously unbeaten Bulls finished the game on a 12-0 run, but newly acquired wing DeMar DeRozan missed a potential game-winning 15-foot jump as time expired to suffer their first loss.

Good play design by Billy on this to force the Knicks to decide who to guard.

Personally, I'd prefer to get Zach going downhill than DeMar to the sideline, BUT I like this view because it shows how both jumped to Zach

Super tough bang bang decision but he did have the jump pic.twitter.com/k4iegdzddc

— Will Gottlieb (@wontgottlieb) October 29, 2021

Though the Bulls will have two nights in their own beds before Saturday’s matchup, the Jazz may have the rest advantage heading into the game.

No Jazz player played more than 28 minutes in Thursday night’s win while five Bulls players played at least 32 minutes in the loss.

“We’re older than a lot of teams and I think anytime we get the chance to be able to rest guys at the end of the game, I think Coach will do it,” Joe Ingles said after the game.

Despite the Bulls falling short, they should provide the Jazz with their best test of the season so far. The combined records of the four teams the Jazz have beaten so far this season is just 6-12, with the 2-2 Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets serving as the best opponents.