Jazz Create Sweet Music vs Houston Rockets in Loss

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D. Although it has been a career-year for the Switzerland big man, tonight was a quiet one for Clint Capela. He never found his mojo on the offensive end and had a horrific night trying to slow down Jazz big man Rudy Gobert. Overall, this is a night Capela will like to forget. 8 points, 6 rebounds, Plus/Minus (-17). C. Houston Rockets. CLINT CAPELA

C. It was a tale of two halves for Ryan Anderson. During the first half, Anderson was the one player Utah did not have an answer for. He shot 66 % percent from the field and scored 11 points in the first half. It may not seem like much but if it was not for Anderson’s aggression during the first half, the Rockets would have found themselves down by 20 points instead of 10 heading into the half. Second half, Anderson never scored another point. 11 points, 2 rebounds, Plus/Minus (+13). PF. Houston Rockets. RYAN ANDERSON

Trevor Ariza had a mediocre performance in Salt Lake City. Not the player Rockets fans have got accustomed to seeing. He had a quiet night offensively but could have played better defense on Jazz’s star forward Gordon Hayward. Yea, Hayward is a great player, but Ariza could have defended him better than he did tonight. Despite his lack of defense, he did manage to get his hand on a few passes. 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, Plus/Minus (-19). SF. Houston Rockets. TREVOR ARIZA. C-

C-. After failing to score a single basket in Portland, Patrick Beverley had a slightly better night in Utah. Unfortunately, it was not enough to help his team. I understand how important Beverley can be to the team, but I am starting to get annoyed by his antics on the court. I love his heart and his hustle, but Beverly must control his emotions better. 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, Plus/Minus (-5). SG. Houston Rockets. PATRICK BEVERLEY

Houston Rockets. JAMES HARDEN. D. Not sure if it’s the high altitude of the Midwest, but James Harden has had his share of horrific games in Utah. And tonight was no different. During the first half, the Jazz held Harden to 3-of-10 shooting and made it extremely difficult to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. He looked sluggish and forced many of his shots that bounced off the back iron. While he was much more aggressive during the second half, Harden never found his rhythm. Do not be deceived by his numbers, Harden’s performance was not all that great. 26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, Plus/Minus (-19). PG

B. The Rockets second unit failed to contribute in any way against the Jazz. Thankfully, this lack of play did not wash off on Eric Gordon. Since announcing his desire to win Sixth Man of the Year, Gordon has done a great job entering his name in the conversation. In a game where the Rockets played arguably their worst game of the year, Gordon was the most consistent player. He had a solid first half, but look unstoppable in the third.<br /> When the Rockets needed someone to breathe new life into the game, Gordon scored 14 points in the third. As he led Houston to cut Utah’s lead within nine. 24 points, 2 rebounds, Plus/Minus (-18). SG. Houston Rockets. ERIC GORDON

Utah Jazz. RUDY GOBERT. A. If Rudy Gobert felt embarrassed in his performance against Houston a few weeks ago, he surely got his revenge tonight. While Rodney Hood did a great job helping the Jazz jump out to an early led, Gobert did an awesome job containing it. The Rockets had a horrific night trying to stop the 7’1 center from scoring. As well as defending the paint making it tough for the Rockets to score. Overall, great night for Gobert. 16 points, 14 rebounds, Plus/Minus (+9). C