Jabari Smith Jr. delivered a dominant performance with 31 points and nine rebounds, while Amen Thompson added 20 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a commanding 125-105 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Smith set the tone early, knocking down his first five shots and tying a career-high with 14 points in the opening quarter. He finished the game shooting an efficient 12-of-17 from the field, including six three-pointers, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Thompson was nearly flawless, converting 8 of his 9 attempts from the floor. In addition to his 20 points, he contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a well-rounded effort.
Kevin Durant chipped in 18 points and recorded a season-high 12 assists, while Reed Sheppard provided a spark off the bench with 15 points.
With the victory, the Rockets improved to 35-21 and moved into third place in the Western Conference standings, trailing only Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
Houston overcame nine first-quarter turnovers by using decisive scoring bursts of 11-2 and 10-3 to build a 38-22 lead after the opening period. The Rockets were highly efficient offensively, shooting 67 percent from the field and hitting eight shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter alone.
The Jazz responded at the start of the second quarter with a 13-2 run, but Houston quickly regained control. The Rockets answered with an 18-2 surge over the next six minutes to take a commanding 68-47 advantage into halftime.
Houston extended its lead to as many as 33 points in the second half and never allowed the margin to dip below 16 points.
The Rockets generated 29 fast-break points — one shy of their season-high — but struggled with ball security, committing a season-high 27 turnovers that resulted in 34 Utah points.
Lauri Markkanen paced the Jazz (18-40) with 29 points as Utah dropped its third consecutive game. Brice Sensabaugh added 26 points off the bench on an efficient 10-for-15 shooting performance.
Utah forward Vince Williams Jr. exited in the second quarter after sustaining a left knee injury and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return.
Up next, the Jazz will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday and Saturday, while the Rockets will welcome the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.