Looks like a road trip was exactly what the Jazz needed.
After two disappointing losses at home—a last-second thriller to the Warriors and a cold-shooting clunker to the Grizzlies—Utah put things together for a 100-89 win over the Rockets in Houston Wednesday night.
Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 38 points to lead the Jazz.
"We did it on both ends tonight," Mitchell said after the game. "We communicated. We defended. We made the proper reads. Last year we really struggled against this team, so it was good for us to go out there compete the way we did."
Rudy Gobert double-doubled with 12 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and three blocks, while Joe Ingles added 11 points and six rebounds for the Jazz (2-2) in the win.
Reigning league MVP James Harden finished with team highs in points (29) and assists (seven) for Houston (1-3). Carmelo Anthony added 22 points off the bench.
Eric Gordon didn't shoot the ball well—but that didn't stop him from shooting. Houston's guard finished with 11 points on 5-for-21 from the field, including 1-for-12 from 3-point range.
Wednesday's Best
After three games of cold-shooting, Mitchell put on a clinic in Houston. The second-year guard got to the rim at will, finishing layup after layup after layup (eight in all) while also shooting 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Mitchell scored 38 points on 14-for-25 shooting and, perhaps more importantly, he added five rebounds and a team-high seven assists in 39 minutes.
Key Stretches
Down 7-2 (very) early on, the Jazz got things going with a quick 11-0 run. Derrick Favors made a layup and then Mitchell scored seven quick points—on a 3-pointer, a floater and two free throws. Favors capped the run with a dunk off a no-look pass from Ricky Rubio.
With the score tied at 42 late in the second quarter, the Jazz closed the first half on a 10-2 run. Mitchell got to the rim (again) for a tough layup, while Jae Crowder and Ingles drained 3-pointers. Mitchell put in another layup after an offensive rebound by Crowder to give Utah an eight-point lead heading into halftime.
Ingles opened the third quarter with a three to push Utah's lead into double figures, and then Mitchell contorted for another layup and Gobert swatted away a shot by Harden. Another bucket by Mitchell, two free throws by Gobert and a corner three by Ingles put Utah up by 16 midway through the third period.
The Jazz went cold from the field early in the fourth quarter as the Rockets cut their 16-point lead down to five with 5:55 left in the game, but Utah responded with 10 quick points to put the game away. Rubio coasted into the lane for a scooping layup and, after Houston timeout, Mitchell pulled up and canned a long 3-pointer. On Utah's next possession, Gobert threw down and emphatic alley-oop slam off a pass from Mitchell. Gobert and Rubio added free throws to give the Jazz a 15-point lead with just under three minutes left in the game.
Significant Stats
27.5
Utah held Houston to 40.2 percent shooting overall and only 27.5 percent shooting (11-for-40) from 3-point range. Harden shot 4-for-6, but Gordon (1-for-12), PJ Tucker (2-for-7) and Gerald Green (1-for-5) combined to shoot 4-for-24.
28
The Jazz (22-for-28) doubled the Rockets (8-for-14) in free-throw attempts. Mitchell (6-for-8) and Gobert (4-for-6) led the Jazz from the line.
+5
The Rockets entered the night ranked No. 8 in the NBA in pace, but the Jazz controlled the flow of the game and even outscored Houston 13-8 in transition points.
Coach's Quote of the Night
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder
Notable
Gobert recorded his 138th career double-double, passing Jazz legend Mehmet Okur into fifth place on the franchise's all-time list. ... The Rockets played without Chris Paul, who's serving a two-game suspension for his role in an on-court altercation against the Lakers on Saturday night. ... Favors grabbed eight rebounds, moving him past Carlos Boozer into ninth place on the franchise's all-time leaderboard. ... Utah outscored Houston 48-36 in the paint. ... Harden left the game for good with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter due to hamstring tightness. ... The Jazz outrebounded the Rockets 47-35.
Up Next
The Jazz will travel to New Orleans for a matchup with the Pelicans on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5:00pm MT.
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