The Houston Rockets are back on the road this Sunday afternoon, heading into Salt Lake City for a back-to-back showdown with the Utah Jazz-and they’re doing it with Kevin Durant back in the lineup.
After missing the last two games due to personal reasons, Durant is officially off the injury report and will suit up for Houston. That’s a big lift for a Rockets team that didn’t just survive his absence-they thrived. Houston picked up impressive road wins over the Suns and Warriors without their superstar, pushing their record to a strong 12-4 to start the 2025-26 season.
Steven Adams is listed as questionable for Sunday with right ankle tendinopathy, while Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Fred VanVleet remain sidelined. The Rockets have had to lean on their depth early this season, and so far, the supporting cast has delivered.
On the Utah side, the Jazz will be without Kevin Love and rookie Cody Williams. Keyonte George is questionable due to illness, leaving some uncertainty in Utah’s backcourt rotation heading into the matchup.
Even with a relatively light schedule in terms of games played so far, Houston’s early-season form has been eye-opening. This is a team that’s built around offensive firepower-Durant’s return only amplifies that-but what’s made them especially dangerous is their dominance on the glass. The Rockets lead the league in offensive rebounding, giving their shooters second and third chances that most teams just can’t afford to allow.
Defensively, Houston has been solid-not elite, but good enough to complement their explosive scoring. And when you’re pulling down that many extra possessions, you don’t need to be perfect on the other end. The formula is working.
Of course, the real test will come as the schedule tightens. Back-to-backs, long road trips, and the grind of the NBA calendar tend to expose any cracks in the foundation.
But right now? The Rockets are looking every bit like a legitimate title threat.
Sunday’s tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. ET in Utah, with a rematch between the two teams coming just 24 hours later on the same floor. With Durant back in the mix and Houston rolling, this two-game set could be a solid early-season measuring stick-not just for the Rockets, but for how the Jazz stack up against one of the league’s hottest teams.