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Rockets return home to face Utah

Mar 17, 2014 - 2:03 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Houston Rockets will try to snap a three-game losing streak Monday night when they welcome the Utah Jazz to the Toyota Center.

The Rockets just went 0-3 on a brutal three-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls and two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat.

Sunday was a rematch of last week's marquee matchup between the Rockets and Heat. Houston beat Miami by three in Houston on Mar. 4, but the outcome was different on Sunday.

The Heat prevailed over the Rockets, 113-104, and Houston is three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the third seed in the Western Conference.

James Harden netted a game-high 30 points, while Dwight Howard contributed a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double and Patrick Beverley chipped in 15 points for the Rockets.

Beverley buried a 3-pointer with 4:26 left in the game and put the Rockets ahead by four. Ray Allen sparked a game-winning 15-2 run.

"I think we stopped doing what we did the first three quarters to get in the game. The fourth quarter we were stagnant with the ball," Howard said.

The Rockets have won eight straight at home.

On the other side, the Jazz are 8-26 on the road, which is the worst mark in the Western Conference, and have dropped four in a row since a road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Mar. 8.

Three of those losses came at home, but the most recent setback came on the road to the San Antonio Spurs Sunday night. Utah lost 122-104, which was the most points the Jazz surrendered since Dec. 6.

"I thought our guys competed hard, and that's the thing I'm impressed with," said Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin. "Give them credit, they shot the ball extremely well."

The Spurs shot better than 50 percent in all four periods, outscoring the Jazz in every stanza. San Antonio finished the night shooting 62.8 percent from the floor and an absurd 62.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Derrick Favors poured in a career-high 28 points for Utah, while he and Enes Kanter contributed 10 and 11 rebounds, respectively. Gordon Hayward had 17 points, six boards and six helpers in the setback.

Trey Burke finished with 13 points and Alec Burks chipped in 12 off the bench.

Utah still has to visit the Memphis Grizzlies on this jaunt.

The two teams have split a pair of meetings this season with both contests taking place in Salt Lake City. The Rockets have won four of five against the Jazz and four of five at home in this series.