Jazz vs. Rockets final score: Utah ties series with Game 2 stunner

The Utah Jazz are leaving Houston with a series split in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Utah held on for a 116-108 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night, stunning the top-seeded Rockets on their home floor with a dominant fourth quarter push to put the game away.

The Jazz led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but Houston would grab the lead before the third quarter closed. This looked like another recipe for James Harden to play the hero, but it was Utah who took control late, using a 16-2 run during the final period to secure the win.

The Jazz, playing without injured point guard Ricky Rubio, had six players reach double-figures. Joe Ingles poured in 27 points on 7-of-9 shooting from three-point range. Rudy Gobert was a monster in the paint, finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. And then there was Donovan Mitchell, who hammered home a clutch tip-dunk and posted 17 points and 11 assists even on a rough shooting night (6-21 from the field).

The Rockets shot just 24 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. Harden had 32 points and 11 assists, but Utah wasn’t going to lose this game.

Here’s a live account of what happened during Jazz-Rockets Game 2:

Jazz 111, Rockets 105, 1:20 left:

The Rockets are trying to stay in this one down the stretch, but the Jazz keep finding answers.

Jazz 103, Rockets 96, 5:46 left: Donovan Mitchell is doing it all for Utah. He’s even assisting on his own dunks:

What an amazing play. Mitchell is a star. The Jazz on closing in on tying this series at 1-1.

Jazz 95, Rockets 94, 8:04 remaining: Eric Gordon’s three-pointer gives Houston the lead in the fourth quarter. It was immediately answered with a corner three from Utah’s Donte Exum.

Reminder: the Jazz led this game by 19 early. This is going to be a fantastic ending.

8:50 — The Rockets have somehow tied this thing up at 69. They’ve gotten a jolt of energy at the half, and it looks like they’re about to take the lead.

6:03 — Rudy Gobert could have picked up a flagrant foul after slapping the hell out of James Harden’s arm. It wasn’t even a play on the ball, just a swing at The Beard’s arm. It as ruled a common foul, but that one was odd.

5:13 — Did Donovan Mitchell just out-muscle P.J. Tucker??

3:41 — JAMES HARDEN JUST THREW IT ON DERRICK FAVORS OH MY LORD (and he might have a nosebleed again)

The Jazz led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, but a 17-point second quarter from James Harden helped Houston rage back to cut the deficit to single digits. The Rockets will still need to figure out what to do with Rudy Gobert’s screen-and-roll, and they were able to storm back after Donovan Mitchell went to the bench with his fifth foul. But this is a good sign for the Rockets heading into halftime.

- The Jazz are forcing Harden and any other slashers toward Rudy Gobert, who is just dominating the paint.

10:30 — RAUL NETO WHERE DID YOU GO?!

First it was Joe Ingles, then it was Jae Crowder. The Jazz pelted the Rockets in the first quarter on a 5-of-7 three-point shooting period. Houston seems a big sluggish, especially defensively, but that’ll probably change if this game falls further out of reach.

No ankle-breakers just yet, though. We’ll be on the watch for those.

9:25 — OK Joseph Joe Jingles with the contested pull-up 3. Your sauce did not go unnoticed.

8:55 — OK JOSEPH JOE JINGLES WITH BACK-TO-BACK 3s. YOUR SAUCE IS NOT GOING UNNOTICED

8:01 — CLINT CAPELA JUST MET RUDY GOBERT AT THE PRECIPICE!

6:45 — JOE INGLES might be my new favorite player, he hit all three of Utah’s 3s so far and has 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting already.

6:00 — Rudy Gobert had no business out on the three-point line trying to stay in front of James Harden. The result: one alley-oop finish for Clint Capela.

3:00 — OK, JAE CROWDER! Mans just hit Luc Mbah a Moute with a dirty pull-back, step-back three. I didn’t know that was in his dribble package.

1:00 — Did Jae Crowder just convert a four-point play? What is life?

0:15 — I feel like Alec Burks needs a shave.

The Houston Rockets are mismatch for most NBA teams even at full strength. The Utah Jazz tried to keep pace with them without Ricky Rubio in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal. The Rockets ran away with a 1-0 series lead after a 110-96 win, shooting 53 percent from three-point range. With Rubio still sidelined with a hamstring injury, Game 2 could be much of the same.

In the series opener, James Harden scored 41 points on 26 shots, draining 7-of-12 threes. The Jazz, as a team, made as many three-point shots. The Rockets had a 25-point lead at the half, and Utah looked exhausted days removed from its seven-game series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team suggests that didn’t play a factor in the loss though.

‘’It’s a quick turnaround obviously and there’s some fatigue,’’ rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell said after the game, according to the NBA. ‘’But that wasn’t the reason for the performance.’’

Date: May 2

Where: Toyota Center, Houston

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

The Jazz are unexpectedly in the second round of the postseason after losing their All-Star, Gordon Hayward to free agency. They aren’t built as a serious championship contender just yet, but this run could convince free agents to join ship over the summer.

For now, Mike D’Antoni’s group is out to show what a true contender looks like.