The Utah Jazz own the NBA’s best record.
The Houston Rockets, losers of eight of their last 10, own the league’s worst.
But if you were looking for a letdown, you haven’t watched enough of this Jazz team.
Rudy Gobert and Co. took care of business in Houston on Wednesday night, looking focused and determined en route to a 112-89 victory.
“We knew this was going to be about us tonight,” Gobert said after going for 19 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks.
On a night when the Jazz (44-15) led by as much as 36, head coach Quin Snyder liked what he saw in a wire-to-wire win at Toyota Center.
“We’ve got a team that, for the most part, is focused,” he said. “There are always going to be games in a 72-game season, where that gets challenged. But I liked the way we began the game, and we continued to play that way. We saw the ball move and one of the biggest thing was getting back in transition.”
The Jazz limited a young, rebuilding Rockets team to 35.4 percent from the field and held them to just six fast-break points on the night.
“We knew it’s a team with a lot of young guys that are trying to prove themselves in this league,” Gobert said. “They were going to play hard. They’re very athletic and try to push the pace. We knew we had to come out focused, take care of the ball and get back in transition.”
Sixth man Jordan Clarkson scored a game-high 22 points off the bench. Joe Ingles scored 21 points, bagging six of the Jazz’s 17 3-point makes. Forwards Bojan Bogdanovic and Georges Niang had 14 and 13 points, respectively. Mike Conley had 11 points and, for the fourth straight game, hit the 10-assist mark.
That balance “is our identity,” Gobert said. “We’re an unselfish team. We try to move the ball and get the best shot possible. When we do that, it’s really hard to guard.”
The combination of Gobert and Conley, though, proved most effective on Wednesday, as it has much of the season. The two Jazzmen lead the NBA in plus-minus this season. On Wednesday, Conley finished with a massive plus-46 while Gobert was a plus-44.
“It starts with the fact that they’re both really good players,” Snyder said. “Those guys are finding that continuity together.”
Highlights
JC & Joe with 20+, Rudy & Mike with double-doubles #podiumpostgame | @PodiumHQ pic.twitter.com/nj4QWIeoJZ
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 22, 2021
Wednesday’s Best
#PerformanceLeader | @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/ZsP1zPLXOK
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) April 22, 2021
Up Next
The Jazz host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Tipoff at Vivint Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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