Two Blunt Observations from Jazz's 131-114 Win Over Rockets

The Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets, 131-114, in the grand state of Texas. The Jazz avalanche was consistent throughout the contest while notching their 20th win of the season. The 801 needed this victory to break the five-game losing spell.

The game's storyline was the magnificent performance of Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. He dazzled with a career-high 18 points in the first quarter and eventually polished his evening off by scoring 49 total, another career mark.

Markkanen grabbed eight rebounds, handed out an assist, blocked a shot, went 56% from the field, made six three-point shots, and was 13-for-13 from the free-throw line. He also recorded a +16 game rating. This effort could be etched into the Utah record books as one of the greatest performances in Jazz history.

Markkanen received an abundance of team assistance from Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley, both of whom scored 19 points, with rookie Ochai Agbaji tossing in 11 points. The Jazz raised their record to 20-21, but are still ranked No. 10 in the Western Conference and are currently trending as a playoff team.

The Rockets showcased their version of a triple-headed monster led by guard Jalen Green's 30 points, four assists, and four boards. Backcourt mate Kevin Porter, Jr. chipped in with 23 points, and center Alperen Şengün recorded a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

The Rockets dropped to 10-29 on the season a nd are ranked last in the Western Conference. They're tied for the worst record in the NBA.

What did we learn from the Jazz's strong victory? Let's review several key takeaways from the contest.

Markkanen Could've had 50 points

Again, Markkanen had a fantastic night, but a player will not often score 50 points in an NBA game. Late in the fourth quarter, Markkanen was running wide open, and had the ball been delivered to him, he probably claims a rare 50-piece meal.

But Jordan Clarkson basically waived him off and called his own number. Eventually, Clarkson went down the lane and dunks the ball towards the end of the fourth quarter, which put a possible 50-point night out of reach for Markkanen. I don't doubt that if Mike Conley had control of the ball instead of Clarkson, Markkanen would have received the chance for 50.

It may sound petty, but Clarkson should have gotten out of the way of Jazz history and let Markkanen score his 50-plus.

A New Bench Mob Pays Dividends

Agbaji scored 11 points, grabbed a rebound, shot 80% from the field, nailed three three-point shots, and registered a +8 game rating in nearly 18 minutes. Inserting him is precisely what the doctor ordered, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.

Hopefully, Coach Hardy will keep Agbaji and other role players engaged and not experiment here and there with sprinkled minutes as Rudy Gay gets fed useless court time. It was also nice to see Talen Horton-Tucker on the floor as a contributor for the Jazz. If you read my midseason progress report earlier this week, I advocated for additional minutes in favor of Horton-Tucker, Agbaji, and even Simone Fontecchio.

If the Jazz brain trust can come to grips and remove Gay from the lineup, drastically reduce Kelly Olynyk's playing time, and increase the roles of their legitimate role players, this team could rise up the Western Conference Standings in a blur.

Agbaji and Horton-Tucker gave the 801 a glimpse of what that success may look like.

Bottom Line

Jazz Nation took care of business and remained in the playoffs. The Rockets are exciting but have a long way to go before they can be taken seriously.

The Jazz, on the other hand, are exciting, but with a few tweaks here and there, they could blast into orbit. Olynyk and Gay simply aren't answers to Utah unlocking that next level, and the longer they're in the rotations, the more they risk stunting the growth of this Jazz basketball team.

The Jazz will face the Chicago Bulls on the road on Saturday night.

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