NBA: Jazz edge Rockets to end 13-game losing streak

Luka Samanic scored a season-high 22 points and Keyonte George had 20 as the short-handed Utah Jazz snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 124-121 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

On a night when seven of Utah’s rotation players were sidelined for various reasons, seven other Jazz players stepped up to score in double figures to give fans a thrilling win in the team’s home finale.

The Jazz reserves stepped up, with Brice Sensabaugh scoring 17, Talen Horton-Tucker adding 16 and Kenneth Lofton Jr. chipping in 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Utah’s backups outscored Houston’s 57-46.

Fred VanVleet topped all scorers with 42 points on 12-of-30 shooting and sank nine 3-pointers, but the Rockets (39-41) fell for the sixth time in seven games.

Cam Whitmore contributed 18 points off the Houston bench, Amen Thompson totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds, and former Jazz player Jeff Green had 13 points.

Houston led by as many as 12 points in the first half — thanks in large part to VanVleet’s 20-point first quarter.

The Jazz (30-50) fought back to take a seven-point lead early in the second half thanks to a 13-0 run that bridged the second and third quarters.

VanVleet went on another tear, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring all of Houston’s points in a 13-5 run to give the Rockets an 83-82 lead with 5:18 left in the third quarter.

The Jazz led 98-96 heading into the exciting fourth quarter.

Darius Bazley gave Utah the lead for good with a layup with 2:18 remaining, breaking a 118-118 tie and sparking a 6-0 run.

VanVleet and Dillon Brooks each missed game-tying 3-point attempts in the waning moments.

The Rockets lost despite shooting 21-for-47 beyond the arc. Even with the sharp shooting from deep, Houston made just 42.1 percent from the floor.

The Jazz shot 50.6 percent from the floor for their first win since beating the Atlanta Hawks on March 15.

–Field Level Media/Reuters