Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET
Toyota Center, Houston, TX | Game ID: 22301024
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
HOU 47 38 37 25 147UTA 21 34 36 28 119
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Green scores 41, Rockets beat Jazz 147-119 for eighth straight victory
HOUSTON -- — Jalen Green scored 41 points, Fred VanVleet added 10 3-pointers and a season-high 34 and the Houston Rockets made a season-best 27 3-pointers to beat the Utah Jazz 147-119 on Saturday night for their eighth straight win.
The Rockets’ win streak is their longest since winning eight in a row in November 2019. Houston closed within 1 ½ games of idle Golden State for 10th place and the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.
“It won’t really mean anything if we don’t make the playoffs,” Green said. “That’s the goal everyone has right now. I’m just trying to go out there and be the best version of myself for my teammates.”
Jabari Smith Jr. and Kris Dunn were ejected five seconds into the second quarter after both were assessed technical fouls for fighting. The two threw punches at each other after they got tangled up while the ball was being brought up the court. Players and officials got between them before the scuffle could escalate further.
Dunn said the two “exchanged a couple words, a couple pushes and the next thing you know we’re ejected.”
“For me, I take responsibility for my actions and whatever the league decides for me, I have to respect that,” Dunn said of possible punishment.
Smith was not made available postgame.
Houston coach Ime Udoka said he thought the altercation was a carryover from when the teams played on Jan. 20 and both players got into it then and were issued technical fouls.
“I think Dunn hit him with a shot, and then, they got wrapped up and threw a few punches,” Udoka said. “Basically, nothing landed, but as soon as you throw a punch, you’re going to be ejected.”
VanVleet scored 23 points on seven 3-pointers, and Green had 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the first half as the Rockets built an 85-55 halftime lead. Houston shot 65% in the first half and was 15 of 24 on 3s.
VanVleet tied James Harden and Chandler Parsons for the single-game franchise record for 3s. Green finished 15 of 22 from the field and was 7 of 11 on 3-pointers.
“I felt good after the first shot,” VanVleet said. “Got a couple more clean looks. When it’s going in like that, and you get good looks, teammates find you in good spots. We got it going a little bit there, and we were trying to ride that wave a little there.”
Jeff Green scored a season-high 21 points, and Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Houston, which shot 56% for the game. The Rockets improved to 35-35, marking the first time they were at .500 since Jan. 13, when they were 19-19.
John Collins scored a season high-tying 25 points, and Collin Sexton added 20 points and eight assists for the Jazz, who tied a season high with their fifth straight loss.
Utah shot 45% but was 11 of 37 on 3-pointers.
“Credit to Houston, 27 3s is pretty outstanding,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “A lot of those were deep. Fred’s a hell of a player. Jalen’s a hell of a player. They both got really hot.”
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
UTABS B. Sensabaugh
CS C. Sexton
JC J. Collins
JJ J. Juzang
KD K. Dunn
KG K. George
KL K. Lewis Jr.
MP M. Potter
TH T. Hendricks
WK W. Kessler
HOUAH A. Holiday
AT A. Thompson
BM B. Marjanović
DB D. Brooks
FV F. VanVleet
JG J. Green
JL J. Landale
JS J. Smith Jr.
JT J. Tate
JG Ja. Green
JG Je. Green
NW N. Williams
RB R. Bullock Jr.
UTA/HOU the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur