11/19 Utah at Houston
3:00 pm MT – Root Sports/League Pass
Opponent record: 5-4
Season series: Tied 0-0
After a short two-game home stint, the Jazz will be back on the road to take on the Houston Rockets. It may be a little much to call this a rivalry, but this was THE match-up to watch last year for the Jazz as two of their most exciting wins of the year came in closely contested bouts against Houston.
And of course it was the Rockets that ended up narrowly beating out the Jazz for that final playoff spot in the West last season, so we should expect a Utah team that is ready to exact some revenge and come away with a big road win.
However, it won’t be easy. Say what you want about James Harden and the Rockets but they can be a scary team and I believe they’re better than their current record indicates. While we all know their defense as laughable, their up-tempo style of play directed by new head coach Mike D’Antoni can allow them to build a big lead and take a team over in a hurry if the opponent isn’t careful.
And unlike the Grizzlies and Bulls, the Rockets do have a convincing win this season as they were able to down the Spurs in San Antonio by a score of 101-99 last Wednesday. The Spurs were able to bounce back and hand the Rockets a loss in Houston in their subsequent contest (much like they did to the Jazz) but it was a nail-biter as well and a testament to Houston potentially boasting a better team this year than last.
But of course the heart and soul for the Rockets has been none other than James Harden. And so far this year, he isn’t just having a good season, he’s having a historical season.
Harden has relished in his move to the point guard position as he is not only averaging a stalwart 30 points per game but also 13 assists per contest as well. He’s currently the league leader in that category by a wide margin as the player with the second best assist numbers, Russell Westbrook, is averaging just over nine per game.
To give Jazz fans a little relatable context, John Stockton averaged 10.5 assists over his career and from 1987-1992, he put up per-game assist numbers of 13.8, 13.6, 14.5, 14.2, and 13.7.
So while Harden isn’t quite putting up prime Stockton averages, he’s pretty darn close and especially in today’s NBA, that’s dang impressive. On the season, he has logged four 15-assist games and one 17-assist game. If he’s able to continue to score and distribute the ball like he has, this will likely be the Jazz’s toughest contest of the week.
However, fortunately Harden’s most glaring weakness also happens to be the Jazz’s biggest strength. Defense.
If Utah can be nailed down on the defensive end and slow Harden, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to beat this team that was such a nuisance throughout last season. Aside from Harden, there are a handful of talented players on the team, but none has been all that consistent or should cause much problem for the Jazz.
So maybe I’m going out on a limb on this one, but I’m feeling good about Utah’s chances. They’ll need to play tough D and be able to answer Houston’s high-octane offense with some scoring punch of their own, but especially after they showed their ability to keep their composure on the road last week, I’m optimistic that they’ll come away with a big win.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 108, Houston 101