In what appears to be a clear mismatch, the Utah Jazz will host the weary and short-handed Houston Rockets on Friday night at Vivint Arena. It’s the first meeting of the 2020-21 season between the longtime rivals.
The Jazz (27-9) have the NBA’s best record, and they haven’t played since the Wednesday before the All-Star break. Thus, they’re relatively healthy and enter with more than a week’s worth of rest.
By contrast, the Rockets (11-24) have lost 14 consecutive games, and they will be playing their second road game in two nights after losing in Sacramento on Thursday night. They did not arrive in Salt Lake City until the early hours of Friday morning.
In addition to tired legs, the Rockets are also nowhere near as healthy. Star center Christian Wood (right ankle sprain) remains out, while the status of veteran guards John Wall (left knee contusion) and Eric Gordon (right groin strain) appears to be in serious doubt. Victor Oladipo may not play, either, since it’s the second night of a back-to-back, and veteran forward PJ Tucker reportedly wants a trade and didn’t play Thursday.
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Here’s when you should tune in to see Friday’s game:
- Date: Friday, March 11
- Time: 9:00 p.m. Central
- TV Channel: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
- Live stream: fuboTV (watch for free in Houston markets)
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (11-24)
- Guard: Kevin Porter Jr.
- Guard: Ben McLemore
- Forward: Sterling Brown
- Forward: Jae’Sean Tate
- Center: Justin Patton
Utah Jazz (27-9)
- Guard: Mike Conley
- Guard: Donovan Mitchell
- Forward: Royce O’Neale
- Forward: Bojan Bogdanović
- Center: Rudy Gobert
The Jazz had three All-Star Game participants on Sunday with Mitchell, Conley, and Gobert, and all logic suggests that they should win with relative ease against the undermanned Rockets.
But, that’s why they play the games! And from Houston’s perspective, with the Rockets seriously short on available players, it could be an opportunity to evaluate young prospects such as Kevin Porter Jr., KJ Martin, and Anthony Lamb over extended minutes.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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