Things have been pretty bad for the Utah Jazz recently. They’ve lost 5 in a row and are 3-7 in their last 10. The only team that seems to be sliding worse than them is the Houston Rockets, who have also lost 5 in a row and are 1-9 in their last 10. An exciting matchup, to be sure!

Now, I want to make sure I don’t call this a sure thing. The last time I did that, the Jazz lost to the San Antonio Spurs, so anything can happen here. The good news is the Jazz haven’t been playing all that poorly in their recent losses. They’ve been close games, with the Jazz losing on last-second shots. It’s been a trend recently for the Jazz that things that were going their way early in the season haven’t been going their way this month. The question for the Jazz is, will they be able to figure things out? The Rockets are a very bad basketball team that doesn’t seem capable of stopping anyone in the league or scoring with any efficiency. According to NBA.com, they are the third-worst defense and the second worse offense. Sure, they have some promising young talent, but they don’t seem to have any clue on how to use them or find ways to improve. If there ever was an easy win, this would be it.... Did I just jinx the Jazz? I guess we’ll find out.

What to watch for?

Can Lauri Markkanen secure his spot in the All-Star Game?

For how bad the record looks, Lauri Markkanen has been taking his game to another level. In December, he averaged 27.7 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field and 46% from three. Superstar numbers, for sure. With the all-star game coming, it’s looking like Markkanen is setting himself up to get that all-star nod. Can he lock that up with some monster performances? He’s the lead guy on a team still in the playoff hunt. With the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City this year, he may have an advantage. It would certainly be one of the funniest stories of the year to see Markkanen represent the Jazz considering all the reports of how badly the Jazz wanted to have Mitchell represent the team.

Game Info

When: 6:00 PM MT

Where: Toyota Center | Houston, TX

TV: ATTSN-RM

Radio: 97.5 FM/1280 AM The Zone