Jazz Look to Avoid Tying Unsightly Franchise Record vs. Rockets

The Utah Jazz want to avoid the wrong end of history on Thursday night.

It's been a difficult stretch for Utah Jazz fans in recent weeks, as the tank has looked the strongest it ever has been. The last time we saw a win from this team was close to an entire month ago on March 15th vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Now, they're in the middle of a 13-game losing streak heading into their Thursday game against the Houston Rockets, a squad they've been 0-3 against across 2023-24.

It's been a decent period since we've seen the Jazz suffer from this many losses in a row. This comes in as the 3rd-longest streak in the franchise's existence, trailing behind their 14-straight in the 1979-80 year, and 18-straight in 1981-82.

A loss on Thursday would effectively tie their second-highest losing streak for their 50-year team history.

It's largely due to the massive shift this lineup has seen once moving past the All-Star break. With guys like Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Walker Kessler all being on the sidelines due to their respective injuries, Utah has had to make some significant adjustments to their nightly rotation. It's led to a bit more involvement from the rookies and overall youth on the roster, but the results haven't panned out in the standings.

Utah also hasn't had it simple by any means when it comes to their recent schedule. Ten of their past 13 games have been up against Play-In level teams or better, with seven as top-five seeds in the Western Conference. For a short-handed, mostly inexperienced squad like the Jazz currently are, it's a tall task to take care of business against this top-tier talent.

Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh will likely be the ones leading the charge for the rest of the way, which makes for some welcomed experiences moving forward in their young careers. However, fans must remain patient in this extensive effort to create a sustainable, winning franchise in Salt Lake City.

Three games sit between now and the end of the Jazz regular season, so the clock is ticking fast for this team to shift the narrative going into the offseason. A final home date against the Rockets on Thursday night presents a noteworthy opportunity for Utah to hit their long-awaited 30th victory of the year.

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