Smith's 31 points shone throughout the game as the Rockets easily defeated the Jazz 125-105.

February 24th - The Rockets defeated the Jazz 125-105. Kevin Durant contributed 18 points , 5 rebounds, and 12 assists, orchestrating the team's offense; Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory.

In the first quarter, the Rockets relied on Smith's 14 points, including four three-pointers , to quickly extend their lead to double digits. Although the Jazz showed some improvement towards the end of the quarter, they still trailed 22-38 at the close . In the second quarter, the Jazz seized their opportunities to narrow the gap to 5 points. At crucial moments, Durant intensified his drives and passes, with Shen Jing and Thompson scoring consecutively to stabilize the situation, allowing the Rockets to regain control of the game. At halftime, the Rockets still led by a large margin of 68-47 .

After switching sides, the Rockets relied on Smith and Sheppard's continued output, widening the gap to over 30 points at one point. Sensab stepped up, scoring 12 consecutive points to stop the bleeding for the Jazz, but the overall difference in strength was obvious. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led 100-75 . In the final quarter, the Jazz once narrowed the gap to 16 points. The Rockets intensified their defense, Durant steadily controlled the tempo, and Ethan's rebounding secured the advantage. Ultimately, the Rockets easily defeated the Jazz 125-105 .

Jazz player statistics

Markkanen 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists; Sensab 26 points , 3 rebounds , 1 assist; Collier 17 points , 1 rebound , 3 assists; Flipovski 13 points , 5 rebounds , 4 assists; Love 5 points , 9 rebounds , 4 assists; Konchar 5 points , 4 rebounds , 2 assists; Bailey 4 points , 8 rebounds; Mykhailiuk 3 points , 1 assist; Williams 2 points .

Rockets player statistics

Smith 31 points , 9 rebounds; Thompson 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists; Durant 18 points , 5 rebounds , 12 assists; Shen Jing 16 points, 9 rebounds , 9 assists ; Sheppard 15 points , 2 rebounds , 4 assists; Ethan 11 points , 10 rebounds , 4 assists; Holiday 7 points, 2 rebounds; Finney - Smith 3 points, 4 rebounds; Okogie 2 points, 1 rebound , 1 assist .

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