Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets
7:00 PM ET, March 20, 2011
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
The Houston Rockets were written off early after starting the season terribly, but they're now making a strong push for the playoffs.
The Utah Jazz's postseason hopes appeared to be fading just a week ago, but the club has put that rough stretch behind it and seems to be finding its stride.
In a matchup of teams battling for the final Western Conference playoff spot, the Rockets look to win for the 11th time in 14 games Sunday night when they host the Jazz, who are seeking their third straight victory.
Houston (36-34) opened the season by dropping 10 of 13 and lost All-Star center Yao Ming for the year in the first month. The Rockets, though, have battled back to pull within one-half game of ninth-place Utah (36-33), which sits just behind eighth-place Memphis.
The Rockets have been especially good defensively of late during their 10-3 surge, allowing 82.7 points during a three-game winning streak -- 21.0 fewer than their season average.
Houston earned one of its most impressive victories of the season Friday, allowing its lowest point total of 2010-11 in a 93-77 over Boston. Kevin Martin had a team-high 25 points while Kyle Lowry scored 20 and rookie Patrick Patterson -- making his third straight start for the injured Luis Scola -- added 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
The Utah Jazz's postseason hopes appeared to be fading just a week ago, but the club has put that rough stretch behind it and seems to be finding its stride.
In a matchup of teams battling for the final Western Conference playoff spot, the Rockets look to win for the 11th time in 14 games Sunday night when they host the Jazz, who are seeking their third straight victory.
Houston (36-34) opened the season by dropping 10 of 13 and lost All-Star center Yao Ming for the year in the first month. The Rockets, though, have battled back to pull within one-half game of ninth-place Utah (36-33), which sits just behind eighth-place Memphis.
The Rockets have been especially good defensively of late during their 10-3 surge, allowing 82.7 points during a three-game winning streak -- 21.0 fewer than their season average.
Houston earned one of its most impressive victories of the season Friday, allowing its lowest point total of 2010-11 in a 93-77 over Boston. Kevin Martin had a team-high 25 points while Kyle Lowry scored 20 and rookie Patrick Patterson -- making his third straight start for the injured Luis Scola -- added 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
Watch Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets Live Online Stream Free March 20, 2011
