Houston • Point guard Ricky Rubio’s absence due to a hamstring injury not only created an opening in the Jazz’s starting lineup, but also altered their rotation and brought players onto the court from deep on the bench.
That’s how this stuff works, explaining why the Jazz had guards Dante Exum and Raul Neto playing together at one stage of Wednesday’s 116-108 victory over Houston in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Toyota Center.
The Jazz thrived, somehow. Houston is one of the NBA’s deepest teams, yet the Jazz’s four reserves outscored the Rockets’ five-man bench 41-22.