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The Utah Jazz are in Texas to open their preseason slate with a game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Utah continues its rebuild after failing to win the draft lottery to pick Cooper Flagg. The Jazz traded Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Collin Sexton, key contributors over the past few years, to fast-track the growth of their young talent.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are on the opposite spectrum of where the Jazz are headed. Despite Fred VanVleet’s likely season-ending injury, Ime Udoka’s roster looks ready to compete for a championship. The highly anticipated debut of Kevin Durant in a Rockets uniform will greet basketball fans.
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Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets Injury Report:
Utah Jazz injury report
Five Jazz players, expected to play key roles next season, will not play against the Rockets. Isaiah Collier (hamstring), Kyle Filipowski (back), Walker Kessler (shoulder), Lauri Markkanen (wrist) and Georges Niang (foot) are on the inactive list.
Houston Rockets injury report
Tari Eason (undisclosed) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) are ruled day-to-day, making their availability uncertain. Steven Adams (rest) and Fred VanVleet (knee) are out.
Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Charts
Utah Jazz predicted starting lineup and depth chart
| Starters | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Keyonte George | Matthew Murrell | Cody Williams | Elijah Harkless |
| Walter Clayton | Svi Mykhailiuk | Cody Williams | RJ Luis |
| Ace Bailey | Brice Sensabaugh | Taylor Hendricks | Oscar Tshiebwe |
| Kyle Anderson | Kevin Love | Steven Crowl | |
| Kyle Filipowski | Jusuf Nurkic | Mo Bamba |
Houston Rockets predicted starting lineup and depth chart
| Starters | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Reed Sheppard | Aaron Holiday | ||
| Amen Thompson | Josh Okogie | JD Davison | |
| Kevin Durant | Tari Eason | Jae'Sean Tate | Isaiah Crawford |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | Dorian Finney-Smith | Jeff Green | Cameron Matthews |
| Alperen Sengun | Clint Capela |
Utah Jazz vs Houston Rockets: Key matchups
Ace Bailey vs. Amen Thompson
Ace Bailey, the No. 5 pick of this year’s draft, will get his first look at Amen Thompson, one of the NBA’s most fearsome defenders. The 6-foot-10 Bailey showed great potential in the summer league games, but Thompson and the long-armed Rockets offer a different challenge.
On the other end, Thompson has shown improvements on offense, making his matchup with the 6-foot-10 Bailey even more enticing.
Alperen Sengun vs. Kyle Filipowski
Following his impressive EuroBasket stint, Alperen Sengun carried his sizzling-hot form on Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks. The Turkish star led his team to a 122-113 win with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in just 17 minutes.
Kyle Filipowski started to emerge as a potential star for the Jazz late last season. Following the trades of former key contributors, the 7-footer is expected to have more and better two-way impact next season. How he matches up with Sengun, an All-Star center, is a battle worth monitoring.
Kevin Durant vs Kyle Anderson or Kevin Love
All eyes will be on Kevin Durant as he is scheduled to debut for the Rockets in front of home fans. At 37 years old, KD remains perhaps the NBA’s deadliest and most skilled scorer. The basketball world will see on Wednesday how he fits into the Rockets’ system.
Kyle Anderson has had his battles against Durant over the years. Going head-to-head against the former MVP, would again test his mettle.
A showdown between Durant and Love should be quite intriguing. Before the regular season starts, perhaps the former rivals could square off one more time.
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Edited by Michael Macasero
English (US)