The Houston Rockets (9-3) host the Utah Jazz (1-11) at Toyota Center on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. CT in an Emirates NBA Cup West Group A game. The game airs in Houston on Space City Home Network and streams on SCHN+.
Houston has won two straight and is 6-1 at home, coming off a 115-108 win Wednesday that snapped Golden State’s eight-game winning streak. Utah has lost 10 in a row and is playing without three of its veteran frontcourt players. The Rockets will also be short a key reserve: Marcus Smart begins a three-game NBA suspension tonight. Read our full Rockets-Warriors recap.
Game Info
- Matchup: Utah Jazz (1-11) at Houston Rockets (9-3)
- When: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, 7:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Toyota Center, Houston
- Event: Emirates NBA Cup, West Group A (counts toward the regular-season standings)
- TV in Houston: Space City Home Network (stream on SCHN+)
- Radio: SportsTalk 790 AM; 101.7 FM Sol Radio (Spanish)
Where the Rockets Stand
Houston is 9-3, second in the Southwest Division and 6-1 at Toyota Center, per ESPN. Alperen Sengun leads the team at 21.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. Kevin Durant averages 20.9 points, Jabari Smith Jr. 16.8 and Amen Thompson 15.2. The Rockets are scoring 115.4 points per game and allowing 106.5.
The bench has been finishing games. Reed Sheppard hit two big fourth-quarter 3-pointers in Monday’s win over Denver, then hit three more in about two and a half minutes Wednesday to turn a three-point game into a double-digit lead against Golden State. Thompson, who had 2 points at halftime Wednesday, scored 15 on 7-of-7 shooting in the third quarter and finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Coach Ime Udoka said after the game that Houston is working to put the ball in Thompson’s hands more. “Just putting the ball in his hands more, allowing him to get downhill and get to his spots,” Udoka said, per Field Level Media. “That gets him going, and then he gets on the glass, and he’s slashing and moving and Alperen and guys are finding him, and it elevates our whole team.”
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Where the Jazz Stand
Utah is 1-11, last in the Northwest Division, and 0-5 on the road. Its only win came Oct. 23, a 120-119 home win over New Orleans, per ESPN. The Jazz are scoring 106.6 points per game, allowing 118.1 and averaging 16.5 turnovers.
Keyonte George leads Utah at 20.4 points and 6.5 assists per game and is off the injury report after an ankle sprain. Rookie Darryn Peterson averages 16.2 points and Ace Bailey averages 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. Utah led Orlando by two points entering the fourth quarter Wednesday before losing 123-108 at home. Peterson scored 22, Brice Sensabaugh added 19 off the bench and Bailey had 18.
Coach Will Hardy says he sees signs of progress despite the losing streak. “I think we’re seeing the blueprint for how our team needs to play,” Hardy said, per Field Level Media.
Injury Report
Statuses per the NBA’s official injury report filed at 10:30 a.m. CT Friday (11:30 a.m. ET). Teams can update statuses up to tip-off, so check back closer to game time.
Rockets
- Marcus Smart – Out (league suspension, game 1 of 3).
- Steven Adams – Out (right soleus strain).
- Clint Capela – Out (right ankle sprain).
- Quadir Copeland – Out (G League, two-way).
- Julian Phillips – Out (G League, two-way).
Jazz
- Jaren Jackson Jr. – Out (right MCL tear).
- Lauri Markkanen – Out (right hand fracture).
- Jusuf Nurkic – Out (right second plantar plate tear).
- Trey Alexander – Out (G League, two-way).
- Kobe Bufkin – Out (G League, two-way).
- Harrison Ingram – Out (G League, two-way).
The NBA suspended Smart three games without pay for throwing a punch that made contact with Warriors center Charles Bassey late in the third quarter Wednesday, per the league. He will also miss Sunday’s game at Washington and Monday’s game at Miami. Smart has come off the bench in all but one of his appearances, so Sheppard and Bogdan Bogdanovic could see more backcourt minutes.
Probable Starters
Neither team had announced starters as of Friday morning. These are the lineups each team used in its most recent game, per ESPN box scores.
- Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
- Jazz: Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Josh Green, Jaxson Hayes
Key Matchups
- Sengun vs. Utah’s frontcourt: With Jackson, Markkanen and Nurkic out, Utah is leaning on Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba inside. Sengun is coming off 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists against Golden State.
- Houston’s guards vs. Keyonte George: George runs Utah’s offense, and Houston’s backcourt depth is thinner without Smart. VanVleet hit four 3s and finished plus-25 on Wednesday.
- Durant vs. Ace Bailey: Bailey, in his second season, figures to see time on Durant, who has scored 20 or more in four of his last five games, per LineSmart game logs.
Last Time Out
Friday is the first of four meetings between these teams this season, per ESPN. Both teams are 0-1 in NBA Cup group play: Houston lost 116-111 at Dallas on Oct. 30, and Utah lost 112-100 at Dallas on Nov. 6. Dallas leads West Group A at 2-0, and Denver is 1-0.
Odds and Player Props
Lines via DraftKings on ESPN as of about 10:45 a.m. CT Friday. Odds move, so check your sportsbook for the latest.
- Spread: Rockets -15.5 (-114), Jazz +15.5 (-106)
- Moneyline: Rockets -1340, Jazz +810
- Total: Over 220.5 (-112), Under 220.5 (-108)
Player points props for Houston’s top three scorers, as posted Friday morning on LineSmart (DraftKings lines):
- Alperen Sengun: Over/under 20.5 points (DraftKings: over -104, under -123)
- Kevin Durant: Over/under 22.5 points (DraftKings: over -113, under -113)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: Over/under 14.5 points (DraftKings: over -112, under -114)
Storylines to Watch
- Life without Smart: Houston’s first game of the suspension is a chance for Sheppard to build on two straight strong fourth quarters.
- Third straight win: The Rockets are going for their third win in a row and their seventh at home.
- NBA Cup margin: After the loss at Dallas, Houston has little margin for error in group play, and point differential can decide wild-card ties.
- Protecting the ball: Utah turns it over 16.5 times per game, and Houston had 19 fast-break points against Golden State.
- Amen’s follow-up: Udoka wants Thompson attacking downhill. Against a thin Utah frontcourt, his second-half performance against the Warriors is the blueprint.
How to Watch
- TV in Houston: Space City Home Network
- Streaming in Houston: SCHN+
- Out of market: NBA League Pass
- Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. CT
What’s Next
The Rockets visit the Washington Wizards on Sunday, Nov. 15, and the Miami Heat on Monday, Nov. 16, with Smart still out for both games.
Follow all of LFG Houston’s Rockets coverage.
Stats via ESPN. Injury statuses via the NBA’s official injury report (Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m. CT). Suspension via NBA Communications. Quotes via Field Level Media on NBA.com. Odds via DraftKings on ESPN; player props via LineSmart (DraftKings). Broadcast info via NBA.com.
Fan Poll
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