Rockets Defeat Jazz 126-117 with James Harden, Russell Westbrook Out

The undermanned Houston Rockets upset the Utah Jazz 126-117 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Monday.

The Rockets were without former MVPs James Harden (thigh) and Russell Westbrook (rest) as well as starting center Clint Capela (heel).

Eric Gordon headlined the list of Rockets who stepped up. The 31-year-old guard bucketed a career-high 50 points:

Forward Danuel House Jr., who started, recorded his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds to go with a game-high five steals. Austin Rivers also scored 21-points, his season-high:

The Rockets collectively outshot the Jazz from three-point range with 37.5 percent and 28.6 percent efforts from deep, respectively. Another differentiating factor came at the foul line, as the Rockets attempted a season-high 49 free throws compared to 26 by the Jazz.

Houston's largest lead of the evening was 17 points, while Utah only led by as many as four.

The 29-17 Rockets snapped the 32-14 Jazz's four-game winning streak. The Jazz are still second in the Western Conference standings behind the 36-10 Los Angeles Lakers. Houston kept pace with the 29-17 Dallas Mavericks in fifth.

Notable Performances

HOU G Eric Gordon: 50 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

HOU G Austin Rivers: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks

HOU F Danuel House Jr.: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals

Utah G Donovan Mitchell: 36 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

Utah F Bojan Bogdanovic: 30 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

Utah C Rudy Gobert: 12 points, 14 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Eric Gordon Compensates for Harden, Westbrook Absences

Gordon did his best Harden impression:

The 2008 seventh overall pick joined Harden and Westbrook as the only Rockets players with at least one 40-point game this season, according to The Athletic's Alykhan Bijani, who also noted that the last time three Rockets notched at least one 40-point contest in a single season was all the way back in 1995-96 when Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Robert Horry did so.

Gordon did what he wanted when he wanted against the Jazz and drew a game-high 20 trips to the foul line in the process:

The other time Gordon had hit the 40-point mark came when he scored 41 points, his previous career high, on Jan. 23, 2009, as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It really feels great, man," Gordon said postgame. "All the stuff that I've been through over the years. All the injuries. ... For me to get a chance to get 50, it definitely means a lot, and I'm headed in the right direction."

Gordon's breakout performance hints that the Rockets are headed in the right direction, too:

The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen reported prior to this game that Harden "will be ready to play in Portland on Wednesday."

That would be ideal timing for Houston. Following Wednesday's game in Portland, the Rockets will have a three-game homestand that includes a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.

Jazz Waste 30-Point Performances from Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic

Bogdanovic and Mitchell were the silver linings in this disappointing loss to the Rockets:

Utah's inability to handle the altered Rockets came down to Houston's small lineup:

Despite the Jazz holding a significant length advantage, they were out-rebounded 40-38 by the Rockets and only managed two offensive boards. Gobert struggled relative to the stretch he was on entering Monday. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year had four straight 20-point double-doubles.

Against the Rockets, who did not play a center against the 7'1" Gobert, he posted a minus-15 in 37 minutes on the floor.

Gobert was even blocked by Rivers.

More than likely, this loss will be an anomaly in the Jazz's 2019-20 campaign.

A lot will be determined about Utah's standing in the Western Conference in the coming days, as the Jazz will travel to face the 32-14 Denver Nuggets on Jan. 30 and Feb. 5 before rematching the Rockets in Houston on Feb. 9.

What's Next?

Both teams will next play Wednesday night. The Jazz will travel to San Antonio for the first of a three-game road trip. The Rockets will wrap their four-game road trip at Portland.