JAZZ BEAT ROCKETS
Critical lessons learned from Rockets' 122-91 loss to Jazz
Oct 29, 2021, 10:49 am
Another tough loss for Houston. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
This game was filled with mistakes that this young core of the Houston Rockets must learn from. Mistakes on the offensive glass, miscommunication on defense, turnovers, and ball placement hurt the Rockets throughout the game. The Utah Jazz are the veterans with experience, as they played with great IQ and communication, which is something this young core can learn from.
The Rockets had no pace and struggled to generate shots in the first half and second half. They finished with a -31 as a whole on defense and offense. The Jazz were able to capitalize on every mistake this young core made. Mostly in the first half it was just fastbreaks and open three-point shooting. Shockingly, the Jazz only had 14 points on fastbreaks and shot the three-ball at 35 percent.
"The way they defend, and what they allow you to get, you're going to have to shoot well to get them or your going to have to get layups in transition and beat them down the floor," Coach Silas said. "And the other end is figuring out a way to eliminate their three-point shots. The second shots killed us and their size in the inside on our switching killed us as well."
The Rockets also struggled with the rebounding, as it was 58-41 Jazz in that category. Things become easier when you have a stronger Rudy Gobert out-rebounding a frail Christian Wood. Gobert created a ton of a space in the paint for passing lanes and rebounds. He had great screens that allowed Bojan Bogdanovic to have great looks at the basket from the perimeter.
The Jazz capitalized on the switching terminology on defense and offense, which still confuses the Rockets. Also not communicating on defense hurt the Rockets a lot, which created open passing lanes and shots for Joe Ingles, Gobert, and Bogdanovic. Watching the ball movement and communication that the Jazz displayed showed great team cohesiveness, as they've been together for three-five years. Their team chemistry is something the Rockets must copy for future purposes.
Jalen Green did struggle but stayed aggressive throughout the night. He finally got opportunities to shoot free throws, as he was 77 percent in that area. Green is still struggling to find his shot in the NBA, but he did manage to have a career night versus the Boston Celtics with 30 points and eight made threes, which surpassed the Rockets' rookie record. In due time, Green will be able to make the most of his shots. He shot 3 of 16 (18.7 percent) from the field against Utah.
The things that I adore about Green is his aggressive nature, as he is averaging 14.2 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting from the field. He is averaging 15 attempts per game and doesn't care if he is missing or making. Green doesn't want to depend on the free throw line, as he wants all his strengths to come from his shooting. He creates great space between him and the defender because of his step backs and elite first step towards the rim. After his one-on-one session with John Wall, Green discussed the missed calls on him.
"I understand I'm a rookie and I'm not going to get calls like that. It's a man's league, anyway. I just have to be strong and keep playing aggressive."
As for this Rockets team, it's one step at a time.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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