In Wednesday’s matchup between the Rockets and Jazz, it initially looked as if it would be a repeat performance of the last time the two teams met back in February — when the Jazz blew Houston out by 34 points. Utah led by as much as 18 points on Wednesday and was cruising with a comfortable 14-point lead with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter.
Houston was playing on the second night of a back-to-back without veteran guards Dennis Schröder and Eric Gordon, and they lost durable forward Jae’Sean Tate midway through the game with an ankle injury. At some points, the Rockets looked as if they were sleepwalking.
Houston needed a spark, and they found it in backup forward Kenyon Martin Jr., who is known for his leaping ability and electrifying dunks. Yet, it wasn’t a fantastic put-back slam over a seven-footer or a lob pass from a point guard that brought the crowd of 13,583 at Toyota Center to its feet. It was Martin’s long-range shooting that helped the Rockets eliminate their fourth-quarter deficit and send the game into overtime.
