Notebook: Rockets 101, Jazz 85

Posted Sunday February 19, 2012 10:46PM

Matt Miller, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Utah Jazz spent most of the first half bullying the Houston Rockets in the same manner that the Minnesota Timberwolves did Friday. Then, for the first time in nearly a game and a half, the Rockets took a stand and displayed defensive strength in the paint.

Kyle Lowry scored a game-high 32 points on 9-for-13 shooting and dished out nine assists, and Luis Scola added 26 points and nine rebounds as Houston clamped down on the defensive end in the second half to roll past the Jazz, 101-85, on Sunday at Toyota Center.

Al Jefferson posted his fourth double-double in the last five games, finishing with 23 points and 11 boards to pace Utah's attack. Paul Millsap poured in 22 points and collected three steals.

The Jazz (15-15), who lost for the sixth time in eight games and fell to 3-10 on the road this season, shot a dismal 27.8 percent and scored only eight points in the paint during the second half. The Rockets (18-14), winners of two of their last three, shot a scorching 63.6 percent after the break.

QUOTABLE: "We've got to show up and play with an edge. ... This game isn't about schemes. This game is about going out there and knocking your guy out of the paint and just trying to be aggressive."
-- Houston head coach Kevin McHale.

THE STAT: After allowing the Jazz to score 26 of their first 38 points in the paint, Houston played with toughness on the interior and limited Utah to only 10 points in the paint for the rest of the game.

TURNING POINT: After the Rockets ripped off a 15-5 run to take an 80-68 lead with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter, Utah responded with a 10-0 spurt to climb within two points with less than six minutes remaining. After a timeout, Houston ran a play that opened up Lowry for a 3, which he buried to ignite a 16-4 run over the next 3 1/2 minutes. The Rockets' advantage never dipped below double digits after that.

QUOTABLE II: "We knew coming in how important this game was, and we played like we didn't want it. ... We got to play like we want to be a playoff team."
-- Jefferson.

HOT: Lowry has struggled with his shot for the last month but found a rhythm from the perimeter Sunday, making seven of eight 3-point attempts. Lowry also drained all seven of his free-throw attempts and penetrated deep into the Jazz defense to set up buckets for his teammates on numerous occasions in the second half.

QUOTABLE III: "That's the best way I've played in a long time. I hit my first couple [of 3s] and kind of got rolling. ... I felt like I could make it anywhere, any time, any place."
-- Lowry on his hot hand from long distance.

NOT: After shooting 48.9 percent (22-for-45) from the field in the first half, the Jazz failed to generate the same close-shot opportunities in the third and fourth quarters. Utah made just 27.8 percent (10-for-36) of its field-goal attempts after halftime to finish 39.5 percent (32-for-81) for the game.

GOOD MOVE: The Rockets' decision to recall rookie Greg Smith from the D-League to fill in for the injured Jordan Hill (knee) worked about as well as they, realistically, could have imagined. Smith made mistakes that are typical of players in their NBA debut, but his energy and athleticism on the defensive end helped him protect the rim with four blocks. The rookie also used his big body to set hard screens that freed Scola for a few wide-open mid-range jumpers.

BAD MOVE: Houston leading scorer Kevin Martin has been a Jazz killer in the past, averaging 28.2 points over his previous six meetings with the Jazz before Sunday. But Martin's teammates failed to get him involved in the offense often enough for him to make a huge impact, as the 6-foot-7 guard finished with only 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting in more than 39 minutes on the court.

NOTABLE: McHale made a late change to his starting five, inserting second-year post player Patrick Patterson in place of Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert played close to 18 minutes off the bench, while Patterson logged more than 27 minutes. ... Hill (sprained right knee) is expected to miss at least two weeks after suffering a knee injury in practice Saturday. ... Jazz guard Raja Bell tweaked his groin and said after the game that he is uncertain about the true extent of the injury. ... Bell has hit at least one 3-pointer in 18 consecutive games, which is currently the second-longest streak in the NBA. ... Aside from Lowry, Houston shot 3-for-11 from beyond the arc. ... The Rockets improved to 4-0 this season when they hit at least 50 percent of their field-goal attempts and 6-0 when their opponent shoots worse than 40 percent overall. ... Houston is now 11-0 when limiting opponents to less than 90 points. ... The Rockets won for only the second time in 12 games when trailing at halftime. ... Utah fell to 0-4 in the first game of back-to-back sets that begin on the road. ... Lowry's seven treys matched his career high.

UP NEXT: For the Jazz, Monday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday @ Minnesota, Feb. 28 @ Sacramento. For the Rockets, Monday vs. Memphis, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Feb. 28 vs. Toronto.