The Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz are both full-fledged members of the National Basketball Association, believe it or not. As Houston frolicked across the Delta Center floor behind Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant’s combined 52 points, the Utah Jazz fell behind quickly and decisively, essentially falling out of contention by the halftime buzzer.

Our reporters are indicating that the Utah Jazz were, in fact, present and participatory for this contest.

Keyonte George was unfortunate to take the floor tonight, as he was scoreless with eight turnovers in 19 minutes of play. His giveaways fed into nearly half of the Jazz’s 17 total turnovers, which is nothing if not charitable. Just one game removed from a 31-point outburst, Keyonte’s flame was bound to waver at some point in the season. Assuming his third-year leap is genuine, this blip on the radar should be a temporary and forgettable setback.

Ace Bailey led all Utah scorers with 19 points on tasty 8-for-12 efficiency from the floor, and 3-for-5 from distance. The rookie was Utah’s lone bright spot this evening — a burning star floating lightyears removed from the nearest celestial body clad in purple mountains. Ace is a hunter on offense. Equal parts aggressive and meticulous, he finds his spots and pulls the trigger when he knows the target is in reach. Fadeaways, driving flips, and everything in between, Bailey is a gifted shotmaker who can create unlike any Jazz player since Donovan Mitchell. The future is bright for this lanky point-piler.

Markkanen added 18 on 5-for-12 shooting. Jusuf Nurkic (baby Jokic, apparently) dished out nine dimes. Walter Clayton Jr, though the three-ball is still calibrating, added five assists and eight points in 18 minutes off the bench.

What do you expect me to say about this matchup? The Houston Rockets proved why they’ll be competing for the NBA Finals this upcoming Spring, and the Utah Jazz reverted back to an ideal tanking pace, slipping down to 6-12 after an NBA Cup victory over Sacramento. Utah is a team unfazed by the glamour of things like talent and winning — they’ve got a draft lottery to scheme for. In a 129-101 final, the Utah Jazz were out of their range and demolished in the eyes of their home crowd.

So, there’s really nothing to see here, ladies and gentlemen. Now, if you could do me a quick favor and look right here at this pen…