by Alma Bean
After an exciting one-point overtime win against New Orleans on Sunday, Utah went straight to Houston to face the Rockets on Monday. Even though Utah came into the game undefeated and Houston winless, Utah was considered the underdog.
First Half Fatigue
With a quick turnaround for Utah, it is no surprise for their players to be tired. Oddly enough, the gameplay from both teams seemed as if they were not trying to score. Utah being a hot three-point shooting team, only made 2/9 (22%) in the first quarter. Houston shot 0/6 from three but went 9/24 for the quarter. With low shooting numbers, Malik Beasley (12 points) got a steal on Jalen Green which led to an emphatic dunk on the other end. With low numbers like these, a low-scoring quarter as Utah trailed 21-18.
(1) Utah Jazz on Twitter: “𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒔(𝒕) on the loose 💥 #TakeNote https://t.co/RLR5nU3rbC” / Twitter
Continuing in the second quarter, Utah could not find the bottom of the net. Their shooting woes became hard to ignore. Utah shot 4/18 (22%) from the perimeter and 18/41 (43%) from the field. Almost all of Utah’s shots come exclusively from the paint. Lauri Markkanen (14/6/1) created a brief distraction for Utah fans as Mike Conley (7/2/7) provided a no-look alley-oop pass to him. Even with a handful of highlights, Utah goes into halftime down 51-45.
Second Half Surge?
Coming out from the locker room, Utah took a step back from the perimeter and put focus on scoring in the paint. More focus on fundamentals and look for easy shots. Though the focus has shifted, Utah still shot 3/6 (50%) from the perimeter and 11/26 (42.3%) from the field in the third quarter. With Houston forcing multiple three-point shots, going 4/13 (30.7), Utah began to fight back as they trailed going into the fourth 77-73.
Utah Jazz on Twitter: “ｐａｔｉｅｎｃｅ is 🔑 #TakeNote https://t.co/jo7B8ymxZJ” / Twitter
For Utah, the second half could be seen as the true debut for rookie Simone Fontecchio (13 points.) Fontecchio took the first shot of the quarter with a corner three that hit nothing but the net. Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. made the home crowd forget about Fontecchio with a three to respond.
(1) Utah Jazz on Twitter: “Simone three counter: 🤌🤌🤌 #TakeNote https://t.co/RWHw9OBiUD” / Twitter
Though Utah put up a valiant effort, they fell just short and lost 114-108. After being even with Houston for the entire second half, the six-point lead at the half prevailed.
What’s Next?
After a disappointing loss, Utah will travel home for a quick pitstop to get a rematch against Houston. With daybreak, Utah will be able to go into the next game refreshed and not running on fumes. Utah’s next game will be Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:00 MST on AT&T SportsNet.
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