Jazz vs Rockets: 3 Keys to Victory

Can the Jazz make it four in a row?

The Utah Jazz travel on Monday to play the Houston Rockets in what will be their first back-to-back games of the year. Utah will be looking to ride the emotion of beating three projected playoff teams in the first week of the season. 

The Rockets are headed in the opposite direction, as they’re still looking for their first win of the season. What’s it going to take to keep the Jazz undefeated? 

Let’s break it down.

Sustain the Energy

This will be the first game where the Jazz will have more talent on the court, but coming off an emotional win, paired with two games in two nights, is a recipe for a close contest. 

Can this year's squad sustain the energy we're accustomed to seeing despite the quick turnaround?

Bench Production

The starters for the Jazz have been logging a lot of minutes as the result of two overtime games in a row. Can the bench pick up the slack and give the Jazz more minutes on the court to account for some tired legs we might see on Monday night? 

It’s been announced that Mike Conley will be available on Monday night, but I would expect a minute reduction. Can Collin Sexton thrive in a bigger role?

Playing With a Chip

The oddsmakers still aren’t sold on the Jazz, as the Rockets have opened up as a one-point underdog playing on their home court. Can the Jazz still play with a chip on their shoulder, even though they’re facing a team that is trending to be in the lottery? 

Head coach Will Hardy seems to think so. 

“Our team's got heart," Hardy said. “We've got some stuff to clean up. But we've got heart.”

The Rockets have been competitive in two out of their three losses, and I expect this to be a game that will be decided in the fourth quarter.

Tip-off is at 6:00 pm MDT.

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Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.

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