The Hive Sports

by Alma Bean

Wednesday night, the Utah Jazz were able to get their first taste of a rematch for the season. After suffering a loss to the Houston Rockets on the road, Houston now has the opportunity to win their first two games of the season against Utah.

Slow and Steady

The first quarter started off sluggish. Neither team was able to break away from the other on the offensive end. Both teams combined for an atrocious 4/17 (23.5%) from the perimeter but better from the rest of the field, going 14/29 (48.3%.) Seemed as if both teams needed to warm up before finding a rhythm later in the game. Though tensions felt high from the opening tip, the quarter finished with a Utah lead of 22-21.

(1) Utah Jazz on Twitter: “Lauri, coast-to-coast 🌊 https://t.co/1vMev4p7NU” / Twitter

In the second quarter, Utah kicked their offense into gear. Shooting 6/10 (60%) from the perimeter and 8/14 (57.1%) from inside the arc, Utah finally got the lead they were fighting for. Talen Horton-Tucker took off in the first half scoring 10 points in the first half, the most he’s scored in a Jazz uniform. Getting to the rim felt infectious as Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen continued the intensity throughout the quarter. After a scoring barrage of 39 points, Utah went into the half with a 61-49.

Utah Jazz on Twitter: “a little 🌶 for the home crowd https://t.co/Fo5CIQeJAt” / Twitter

Pre-Halloween Scares

Before halftime, Sexton limped into the locker room under his own power. He came back out before the start of the second half but ultimately stayed out of the game. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune would later report that Sexton would not return due to a left oblique contusion.

Though the box score makes the score look fairly even, 28-26 Utah, neither team scored easily. Both teams had remanence of the first quarter struggling to score from the perimeter (Utah 3/14, Houston 3/14.) Very clinical basketball, crisp ball movement, secured rebounds, and good zone defensive coverage from both squads.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Houston Rockets. Being able to score at will in the paint which led to many foul calls, but not just in Houston’s favor. Win a league-high 58 foul calls throughout the game, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt both fouled out before the end of regulation. Mike Conley came close with five fouls. If he were to have reached six fouls, it would have been his tenth time fouling out in his 15 seasons in the NBA. With Vivint Arena being filled with “boos” throughout the game due to the overage of foul calls, Utah began to feel the energy. Jordan Clarkson added fuel to the fire with an emphatic block and was rewarded with a corner three praising the crowd afterward.

(2) Utah Jazz on Twitter: “JC block: https://t.co/Sv2fwdXW1C” / Twitter

(2) Utah Jazz on Twitter: “JC triple: https://t.co/ftOIvuhdy1” / Twitter

Within the final two minutes, Houston brought the game to a two-score deficit. Malik Beasley put the nail in the coffin with a three-point shot. After a handful of free throws, Utah locked in the win against Houston with a final score of 109-101.

What’s Next?

Utah will go on a quick one-game road trip to Denver to face the Nuggets on Friday, Oct. 28. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. The first meeting ended in a win for Utah 123-102. The game will tip off at 7:00 PM MST on AT&T SportsNet.