Utah Jazz (16-60, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (49-27, second in the Western Conference)

Houston; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Utah looks to end its six-game slide with a victory over Houston.

The Rockets are 28-18 in conference play. Houston scores 114.0 points while outscoring opponents by 4.9 points per game.

The Jazz are 7-41 against Western Conference opponents. Utah is fifth in the league with 45.4 rebounds per game led by Walker Kessler averaging 12.2.

The Rockets average 12.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 fewer makes per game than the Jazz give up (14.7). The Jazz average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.7 more made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Rockets give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Green is shooting 42.5% and averaging 21.5 points for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is averaging 18.1 points over the last 10 games.

Kessler is averaging 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks for the Jazz. Collin Sexton is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 8-2, averaging 121.1 points, 51.4 rebounds, 24.9 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.6 points per game.

Jazz: 1-9, averaging 104.7 points, 40.3 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 7.2 steals and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.8 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: None listed.

Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: day to day (knee), Collin Sexton: day to day (hip), John Collins: out (ankle), Taylor Hendricks: out for season (fibula), Jordan Clarkson: out for season (foot), Walker Kessler: day to day (illness), Cody Williams: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

As the regular season is slowly wrapping up, it’s time to look at some players – and teams – who won’t be participating in the NBA Playoffs.

John Collins is about to end his second season with the Utah Jazz, if he hasn’t already. The 6’9 forward is out with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since March 12th. While he’s practicing with the team, no official word has yet come in regards to his return.

The former Hawks forward has seen a bit of a career resurgence, in terms of offensive volume, despite being in and out of the lineup all year due to injuries, being limited to 40 games so far.

Getting back to scoring

Collins, who used to run the floor with Trae Young, had plenty of solid seasons in Atlanta, including one in which he averaged over 21 points and 10 rebounds, all while canning over 58% of his shots, including 40.1% from downtown.

To many, Collins looked like a future All-Star who would practically sleepwalk his way into a steady 20/10 line for as long as he played next to Young.

Instead, Collins saw his numbers decline – and heavily so – during the following three years with the Hawks, to point where his last season with the franchise saw him score just 13.1 points per game, and be viewed as a complete afterthought within the offense.

In 2023, Collins was moved to Utah, and while he saw just a modest uptick in scoring last season, he’s come back into the swing of things this year when he’s been available.

Collins is averaging 19 points per game, and is draining 39.9% of his three-point attempts, while seeing an uptick in free throw attempts.

The 27-year-old has admittedly played on a team in which top-tier talent hasn’t been particularly available, but that’s sprinkled in a new, and interesting, pattern of self-creation.

Collins has never created more shots off his own afford as he has this season, with only 64.7% of his two’s being assisted, compared to previous seasons where that number has found itself in the high 70’s.

Yes, the sample size is smaller than you’d want it to be, and spread out over just half a season, but that’s where the numbers and eye-test go hand-in-hand.

Collins is finding more gaps in the defense than before, and looks far more comfortable putting the ball on the floor than ever before.

This breaks a pattern of him being almost exclusively a play finisher, which was the case in Atlanta.

What does this mean for his future?

As far as Collins’ future goes, it’s tough to say. Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler are still around in Utah, and eventually Taylor Hendricks will make his return from a fractured right fibula.

That means more competition for the big man minutes, and with Utah likely having an eye on the future, Collins could find himself as the odd man out.

He’s attached to a contract which compensates him at a rate of $26.5 million in 2025-2026, assuming he picks up his player option.

After the season he’s having, in regards to finding his own rhythm again, it’s not a forgone conclusion he picks it up, although the market almost dictates a need to do so, with so few teams projecting to have any meaningful cap space.

Perhaps the Jazz would like him to stick, or perhaps Collins and them agree to find a trade that makes sense for both parties.

Regardless of the outcome, Collins certainly used his opportunity this year to make some much-need, and long-awaited, noise for himself.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (KSL.com) — Police have identified an 8-year-old boy who died Friday in an apparent shooting in a Saratoga Springs townhome. His mother, who was also shot, remains in critical condition.

Saratoga Springs police released a statement Sunday naming Eli Painter as the boy who died and says investigators believe he was shot. It also identifies the wounded woman found with him as Jessica Lyman, 44, his mother.

A 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were also in the house at 1244 North Willowbrook Lane, police said, with the girl making the initial call to police after finding her mother and brother unconscious.

Further details about the shooting and where the two were wounded were not made available.

When officers arrived at the home at 10:15 a.m. Friday, they discovered that Eli was “deceased without chance of revival,” the statement says.

Lyman was treated by paramedics and flown to a hospital in critical condition, where police said she remained Sunday.

On Friday, officers sealed off the home and began searching the area for witnesses. Police were also checking for possible surveillance video.

Forensic investigators and victim advocates were brought to the scene Friday. Police said Sunday that the identification of possible suspects is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Saratoga Springs police at 801-766-6503.