Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) gets smothered by the defense of Utah Jazz forward Juwan Morgan (16), left, and Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (23) during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Brandon Judd
By Brandon Judd

SALT LAKE CITY — Houston handed Utah its second straight loss coming out of the All-Star break, as the Jazz fell 120-110 to the Rockets at Vivint Arena on Saturday night.

Here are three takeaways that defined the game:

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Utah Jazz can’t keep up with Houston Rockets, lose second straight game
  • Houston (36-20) took control in the third quarter, going on a 14-3 run to start the period and outscoring the Jazz 38-19. The Rockets hit 16 of 26 from the floor and 6 of 14 from 3-point range to build as much as a 15-point lead in the quarter after Utah led by four at the break.
  • While Utah (36-20) was just 7 of 31 from 3-point range, the Rockets went 20 of 48, including 8 of 11 in the first quarter.
  • Jordan Clarkson sparked the Jazz offense in the first half, scoring 20 points in the opening two quarters before finishing with 22. Donovan Mitchell added a team-high 31 for Utah, including 18 in the fourth. That wasn’t nearly enough, though, against Houston, which shot 48.9% from the field and had 38 points from James Harden and 34 from Russell Westbrook.
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) gets past Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) for a basket during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale (23) gets past Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) for a basket during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) gets up from the floor during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45), left, and Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale (23) leap from the bench to help up Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) after was fouled during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) slides across the floor after being knocked down during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington (33) reaches over Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (10) to get to the ball during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) gets smothered by the defense of Utah Jazz forward Juwan Morgan (16), left, and Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale (23) during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) directs his teammates during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) gets past Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) for a basket during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) hugs Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder at the end of an NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the shot of Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) charges into Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and is called for a foul during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington (33) reaches over Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (10) to get to the ball during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Juwan Morgan (16) splits the Houston defense during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) watches as his 3-pointer falls through the net during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives into Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers (25) during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) get helped up after colliding during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) gestures to the referee that he was fouled during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) rises for a slam dunk during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) runs back on defense after nailing a 3-pointer during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) gets past Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) for a basket during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (10) passes away from the defense of Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) and Houston Rockets guard Ben McLemore (16) during the Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz NBA basketball game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

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Monday vs. Phoenix, 7 p.m. MST

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