Utah Jazz Live And Die By Three In First Quarter Against Rockets

HOUSTON – The Utah Jazz lived behind the arc and went down big in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

Utah shot 7/22 to start the game with 13 of those attempts coming from three.

👩‍🚀 prepared for taykeoff 👩‍🚀#TakeNote | @tayxhendricks pic.twitter.com/lx699ru0Td

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 24, 2024

The Jazz made just four of those attempts from deep too.

Rookie Taylor Hendricks made the first, John Collins nailed his attempt from the top of the arc, and Johnny Juzang knocked down two triples.

Houston shot a blistering hot 82.6% from the field and 75% from three in the first quarter.

three’s a charm 🍀#TakeNote | @johnnyjuzang pic.twitter.com/TTZpueFfD2

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 24, 2024

Without Lauri Markkanen, the Jazz offense looked stagnant, to say the least.

The Rockets led by 26 going into the second quarter, 47-21.

Utah Jazz Season Can End One Of Three Ways

With a dozen games left in the season, the Utah Jazz have just a handful of potential outcomes awaiting them.

Utah currently sits at 12th in the West with a record of 29-41. They have the ninth-worst record in the association.

Jazz Catch Fire, Overtake Rockets In 11th

Utah sits 5.5 games back from Houston but more importantly, the Jazz will play the Rockets three times in the final 12 games of the season.

If Utah manages to win all three of those games, they will likely overtake Houston in the standings and no longer own a bottom-10 record.

This is the worst-case scenario for Jazz fans.

Yes, winning is the goal. But what is the point of finishing in 11th and missing out on a top-ten pick in next year’s draft?

Updated West Standings ‼️

– Nuggets win, trail OKC on win %
– Mavs and Suns win, move into 6th & 7th

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📲 https://t.co/oRfhdB8ZfO pic.twitter.com/ha6pBTMzb1

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2024

No Movement, Finish 12th In West With 9th Worst Record

Although it may not be the best-case scenario, it’s probably the most likely.

Utah has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the NBA but the Jazz can easily avoid going 2-10 or worse to wrap up the season.

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Skid Continues, Utah Claims Bottom 8 Record In NBA

Although unlikely, it is entirely possible for Utah to finish somewhere around 31-51.

The Jazz could claim the 8th, 7th, or 6th-worst record in the NBA. But, that depends on how Brooklyn, Toronto, and Memphis close out the season.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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