Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Houston Rockets played flawless basketball in their regular-season finale, routing the Utah Jazz 117-91 Wednesday night to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference and the top record in the talented Southwest Division.
Houston put together a stifling defensive effort and rode that energy to a 30-point halftime lead. Utah never responded, closing its season on a bad foot.
James Harden led the way for Houston with a triple-double, though the entire cast played well in the victory.
With the win—along with the San Antonio Spurs' Wednesday night loss—Houston captured its first division title since their 1993-94 championship season.
| James Harden | B+ |
| Dwight Howard | A+ |
| Josh Smith | B+ |
| Terrence Jones | A |
| Rest of Team | B+ |
| Rudy Gobert | B- |
| Rodney Hood | C+ |
| Bryce Cotton | B |
| Trey Burke | F |
| Rest of Team | C- |
Houston Rockets
James Harden: B+
Harden's shooting numbers—16 points on 3-of-8 shooting—were hardly eye-popping, but his overall performance was fantastic. Spearheading Houston's offense, he dished out 10 assists as the Rockets carved up the Jazz's statistically impressive defense.
Harden also added 11 rebounds, having logged his fourth triple-double of the season before the final quarter. In fact, Harden rested the entire fourth period, making his stat line that much more impressive.
He did log six turnovers and wasn't an integral part of the Rockets' remarkable first-half defensive effort, but his status as the primary facilitator in a game in which Houston logged 28 total assists is enough to make Harden's final regular-season contest a memorable one.
Dwight Howard: A+
Dwight Howard's playing time is still limited as he's integrated back into the Houston offense, but the Rockets center looked good in the 21 minutes he logged.
He dominated the paint, scoring 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Despite the presence of professional shot-blocker Rudy Gobert in the paint, Howard looked unstoppable—and his teammates recognized that early on.
Also adding eight rebounds and two blocks, Howard appeared healthy and looks ready for a dominant two-way postseason campaign.
Josh Smith: B+
Josh Smith erupted off the bench in the first half, contributing in every facet of the game on both ends of the court. Finishing with three blocks and a steal, Smith looked energized and played a crucial role in the stifling defensive effort that allowed Houston to build its lead.
He also scored 13 points—hitting three of his five three-point attempts. He finished with a 4-of-9 clip overall in just 18 minutes.
Smith has been a valuable second-unit spark for Houston since joining them midseason, and his versatility and upside were on full display against Utah.
Terrence Jones: A
Houston hosted a block party in the first half, with Terrence Jones setting the tone. With three blocks, Jones helped Howard protect the rim and create transition opportunities for his teammates.
Offensively, he looked equally energized, attacking the rim hard. He scored 15 on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting. He also hit his only three-point attempt.
Jones isn't the kind of player whom Houston's guards naturally look for in the paint, but he created ample opportunities for himself and enjoyed a successful regular-season closer as a result.
Rest of Team: B+
Corey Brewer played a crucial role in Houston's dynamic transition offense, getting ahead of the defense consistently and posting 14 points.
Point guards Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni combined to score 17, with Terry shooting well from deep while Prigioni went perfect from the floor off the bench.
The rest of the team pitched in where needed, with only Trevor Ariza (1-of-5 from deep, 2-of-8 from the floor) truly struggling.
Utah Jazz
Rudy Gobert: B-
Gobert has been a defensive juggernaut for the Jazz this season, but after a strong opening quarter, Gobert let the veteran Howard get the best of him on that end of the floor.
Nonetheless, Gobert remained one of Utah's more impressive contributors. He scored eight points on just six shots, primarily cleaning up his teammates' misses from the perimeter—as Houston's interior tandem kept the Jazz out of the paint.
Finishing with eight rebounds and three blocks, it wasn't a terrible performance for Gobert, but it was certainly not one to remember in what will go down as his breakout campaign.
Rodney Hood: C+
With 10 points, Rodney Hood was one of Utah's scoring leaders—a stat that's very reflective of the offensive effort displayed by the Jazz.
As a whole, he shot the ball poorly, going just 4-of-12 from the floor. However, he did sink two of his three three-point attempts.
No player can be singled out as the reason for Utah's struggles, but Hood—with his poor shooting and decision-making—certainly is among those to blame.
Bryce Cotton: B
Perhaps the silver lining of the night, recent Utah signee Bryce Cotton enjoyed a respectable team-high 14-point, three-assist performance.
He shot 7-of-14 from the floor—being one of the few Jazz members to post a clip at or above 50 percent. He posted a plus/minus of just minus-3, and while the bulk of his playing time came against Houston's reserves, it's still respectable given the circumstances.
Trey Burke: F
Yuck.
Utah point guard Trey Burke went 1-of-11 from the floor—a clip that summed up every negative aspect of the Jazz's loss.
Not that he was alone in his struggles, but Burke's poor shooting display definitely sticks out on the stat sheet.
The team did have Dante Exum in the starting lineup and Cotton off the bench to turn to, but Burke did plenty of damage to the Jazz in his 19 minutes of action.
Rest of Team: C-
Plenty of Jazz players were given ample court time in the final regular-season game, but other than Chris Johnson and Jeremy Evans, the rest of the Utah roster did little of note.
Johnson scored 13 on 6-of-10 shooting while Evans added 10 points and six rebounds.
Elijah Millsap and Jack Cooley had their moments, but both shot below 50 percent and played minor roles before garbage time.
In the starting lineup, Exum, Derrick Favors and Joe Ingles combined to score eight points on 4-of-18 shooting, a mark that—along with Burke's line—sums up Utah's night.
Up Next
The Rockets' win and the Spurs' loss give Houston the West's second seed, tying the Clippers for the second-best record. They'll draw Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the playoffs.
Houston won three of the four regular season matchups between the two Southwest teams.
Utah's season, meanwhile, comes to an end. Their post-All-Star break campaign foreshadowed their growing upside. They'll have the offseason to continue building a young-but-deadly roster for the future.
