After a recent stretch of nail-biters, the Houston Rockets finally delivered a stress-free night for their home crowd.
Monday night, Houston returned to Toyota Center from the first time since the All-Star break in dominant fashion, pulling away early and never looking back in a 125-105 win over the Utah Jazz.
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Jabari Smith Jr. led all scorers with 31 points, shooting an efficient 12-of-17 from the field.
Smith’s rhythm developed naturally within the flow of the offense. After the game, head coach Ime Udoka said Jabari’s burst wasn’t scripted beforehand — it was simply teammates recognizing the hot hand.
“Once he started making a few, guys really looked for him,” Udoka said.
Rockets guard Amen Thompson added 20 points on a flawless 8-for-8 shooting night from the field.
Utah had its moments offensively behind 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and 26 off the bench from Brice Sensabaugh, but the Jazz struggled to string together enough stops to make it competitive in the second half.
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Houston maintained a double-digit lead throughout the final two quarters, leaning on strong shooting to offset a sloppy night in other areas.
The Rockets committed an uncharacteristic 26 team turnovers — a number Udoka made clear won’t be sustainable against the NBA’s elite teams.
“Just carelessness, simply… We’ve got to be better,” Udoka said. “You’re not going to beat a real team — a better team — with that high of a number.”
The victory lifts Houston to 35-21 on the season, good for fourth place in the Western Conference. The Rockets now hold a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.
Monday’s contest marked the third of four meetings between Houston and Utah during the 2025-26 season. The Rockets have taken two of the first three matchups, with the final meeting scheduled for April 3 back at Toyota Center.