November 12, 2026 at 5:09 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

Short-Handed Jazz Face a Steep Climb Against Efficient Rockets

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Utah's thinned frontcourt meets a Houston team that has quietly piled up wins.

This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.

The headline for Utah is who won't be on the floor. Lauri Markkanen is out at least a month with two nondisplaced fractures in his right hand, suffered Nov. 6 at Dallas, and he will be reevaluated in four weeks. He was the Jazz's second-leading scorer at 18.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and coach Will Hardy was blunt: "There's no replacing Lauri." For a team that is 1-10 and last in the West, losing that production deepens an already difficult season.

The problem is bigger than one player. Jaren Jackson Jr. is sidelined with a torn MCL and a possible mid-December return, and Jusuf Nurkic is out with a toe/foot injury that will be reevaluated around Nov. 20. That leaves Utah with little size or scoring up front against a Houston group built around Kevin Durant, who has averaged 21.0 points on a career-low 12.3 shots. That efficiency is exactly what a thin defense struggles to contain, and Houston's 8-3 mark after a 5-0 start shows the Rockets have been consistent.

Utah does have a few positives. Keyonte George is back from his right ankle sprain, which gives the Jazz their starting point guard and some creation. Josh Green, Brice Sensabaugh and Josh Okogie are in line for bigger roles to absorb Markkanen's minutes. Isaiah Collier also showed he can produce, leading a fourth-quarter comeback in a 115-109 loss to Miami that scared a heavily favored Heat team. Houston has its own frontcourt concerns, with Steven Adams and Clint Capela listed out for its Nov. 11 game, so Utah may find some openings inside.

Still, the gap in talent, depth and form is wide. Utah should compete in stretches with George and Collier handling the ball, but Houston's steadier scoring and Utah's lack of frontcourt options should decide it. I expect the Rockets to pull away in the second half.

Prediction: Rockets 117, Jazz 105.

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