Rockets Fall Short Of Fourth-Quarter Comeback In Loss To Jazz
HOUSTON — Talen Horton-Tucker drove past Kevin Porter Jr. and had a clear path to the basket. He proceeded to convert a right-handed dunk over the top of Tari Eason to give the Utah Jazz a 77-58 lead over the Houston Rockets with 7:18 left in the third quarter.
Horton-Tucker's dunk was a testament to the dominance the Jazz held over the Rockets amid Houston's 109-101 loss to Utah. Following the defeat, the Rockets split their home-and-home series against the Jazz Wednesday night inside Vivint Arena.
The Rockets trailed by as many as 19 points before finding their stride in the fourth quarter. Porter scored 15 points in the final period, which resulted in Houston coming within two points with five minutes left in regulation.
Porter finished the game with a team-high 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting. He also added five rebounds and five assists.
Jalen Green had a subpar night on the offensive side of the ball by connecting on two of his eight attempts from behind the arc. He ended the game with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. added 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
Jae'Sean Tate made his season debut after missing the first four games due to an ankle injury. He finished the game with seven points and five rebounds. Garrison Mathews scored 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc off the bench.
Lauri Markkanen scored a team-best 24 points for the Jazz, while Jordan Clarkson added 20.
Following the loss, the Rockets will continue their four-game road trip on Friday against the 4-0 Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is slated for 9 P.M. CT inside the Moda Center.
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