Markkanen in the mix this time in rematch
SALT LAKE CITY — The Rockets built much of their 10-game winning streak by avoiding letdowns and losses against struggling, shorthanded or otherwise going-nowhere teams.
With some more impressive victories sprinkled in, the taking-care-of-business wins were essential to the rush back into the thick of the play-in chase. But after an exhilarating win in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Rockets face perhaps the toughest test of their focus when they face the Jazz in Delta Center.
The Rockets rolled up 147 points in last week’s win against the Jazz, making 27 3-pointers, more than any team has made in a game this season. But the Jazz might have shown that they can be dangerous, outscoring the Rockets in the second half of that game. The Jazz were without star forward Lauri Markkanen that night. He is averaging 29.5 points in the two games since.
Delta Center has always been difficult for visiting teams and the Rockets have lost four of their past five games in Salt Lake City.
Five things to watch:
First things, first
Of the many things that had turned around for the Rockets in March, their play in the first quarter cannot be overestimated, with their performance against the Jazz their best in the first 12 minutes of a game this season.
They closed the quarter with a 22-2 run, scoring 47 points in the quarter on 82.6% shooting.
They have not approached that, but in March the Rockets have outscored opponents by 23 points per 100 possessions in the first quarters, the third-best net rating in the league in that stretch. Before March, they had been outscored by 3.8 points per 100 possessions in the opening quarters, ranking 21st in net rating.
Backcourt bonanza
Arguments can be made about which game has been Jalen Green’s best in his March scoring surge with Wednesday’s 37 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Oklahoma City a solid contender.
The best combined game for Rockets guards Green and Fred VanVleet would have to be their previous game against the Jazz.
Green scored 41 points, one shy of his career high, while making a season high seven 3-pointers, matched on Wednesday. VanVleet matched the franchise record for 3s, hitting 10 of the 15 he attempted to score 34 points in 28 minutes, adding seven assists.
The Rockets outscored the Jazz by 31 points with Green on the floor, by 29 when VanVleet was in.
Rematch?
Though there will be many more important matchups, it will be worth keeping an eye on occasions when the paths of Rockets center/forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Jazz guard Kris Dunn pass.
Smith and Dunn had an altercation in the first meeting. They exchanged punches in a scuffle in the most recent meeting, with Dunn getting a two-game suspension for instigation the incident and Smith receiving a one-game suspension for fighting. Dunn returns from his suspension in time to face the Rockets. Smith returned on Wednesday and after a rough game most of the way, knocked down a last-minute 3-pointer for the lead, and added another in overtime.
Though a starting center and a backup guard would not seem likely to match up often, the Rockets switch so often that they could go against one another again, though neither incident occurred with Smith defending Dunn.
Stat-stuffer
When the Rockets scored more than they have in any game this season in last week’s win against the Jazz, Amen Thompson had just four points on 2 of 9 shooting. As he has so often since moving into the starting lineup, he put up numbers, anyway.
Thompson had 10 rebounds and six assists against the Jazz, and is coming off one of his better games, matching his career high of 25 points with a career-best 15 rebounds against the Thunder, his nine double-double. Thompson is the first rookie with at least six offensive rebounds in three consecutive games since Tristan Thompson in the 2011-12 season.
He has averaged 15.4 points on 62.5% shooting and 8.8 rebounds in the winning streak.
Lauri Legend back?
An All-Star and the Most Improved award winner last season, Markkanen has averaged 23.2 points per game this season, making 39.9% of his 3s. He is especially effective at home, making 49.8% of his shots and 41.6% of his 3s in Delta Center. But while in and out of the lineup, he has tailed off since the All-Star break, making 42.2% of his attempts in the nine games he has played since the break. He had 22 points in the first meeting when he made 8 of 18 shots, 3 of 11 3s.