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The Utah Jazz beat the Golden State Warriors, 111-85, on Wednesday evening at Vivint Area. The Warriors got here into the sport on a league-leading nine-game profitable streak, however the Jazz put an finish to that and prolonged their very own win streak to 4 video games.
Excessive Notes
- Earlier than we get into the main points, it must be mentioned that this was the Jazz’s finest win of the season, by a mile. I utterly perceive that this was towards a Warriors group that's lacking Draymond Inexperienced and Klay Thompson, however this was the Jazz’s finest efficiency irrespective of the opponent. This might have been towards the league-worst Detroit Pistons and I’d be saying the identical factor. Throughout the board, the Jazz had unimaginable performances and performed protection at a stage (with out Rudy Gobert!) that we haven’t seen in months. For them to carry the Warriors to 85 factors, together with rubbish time, was actually spectacular. That is the type of sport that the Jazz have been speaking about in January when the gamers have been saying that in the long term it will be about how they reply to adversity. That is the response. After a month of trudging by means of the schedule the Jazz appear to have come out on the opposite aspect with some resolve.
“We’re discovering methods to make profitable performs. We’re actually doing that. We’ve gotta proceed to do it, we are able to’t simply say ‘oh, we acquired it, we figured it out.’ We’re doing it and that is what it’s going to take to win each evening.” — Donovan Mitchell
- Donovan Mitchell was on triple-double watch earlier than the groups went into the locker rooms at halftime. However outdoors of the feat that he simply narrowly missed — he completed with 14 factors, 10 rebounds and eight assists — this was an excellent all-around sport. He missed his first 4 3-pointers however acknowledged that he wanted to maintain the sport transferring so he racked up 5 rebounds and 4 assists earlier than lastly hitting an open trey. He was intentional and centered on each ends of the ground and even added a block to his stat-line for the evening.
- I really feel just like the competitors created by beginning Udoka Azubuike forward of Hassan Whiteside has completed wonders for each gamers. Whereas Mitchell was on his personal triple-double watch, Whiteside was additionally in competition for one, and completed with 9 factors, 17 rebounds and 7 blocks (5 of which got here within the first half). Earlier than this stretch with out Gobert, the prevailing thought was that Whiteside was going to be okay in some backup minutes but when the Jazz have been lacking both Gobert or Whiteside then they might be pressured to go small. However with Azubuike getting some extra minutes with high-level NBA expertise round him, the Jazz seem like they're legitimately three guys deep on the heart place and Whiteside has been far more engaged and efficient as of late.
“I like dealing with adversity. It reveals you what individuals actually take into consideration you and you utilize it for motivation.” — Hassan Whiteside
- I’m going to finish up writing a novel if I am going by means of every participant like this, but it surely actually was a well-rounded sport from everybody. Jordan Clarkson was restrained and was contesting pictures, Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 23 factors and settled himself into the sport whereas additionally being an element on the glass, Trent Forrest appeared like a five-year veteran on the court docket with how he performed on each ends, Mike Conley took prices and hit daggers in individuals’s faces and Royce O’Neale racked up 5 assists. Even these I haven’t talked about have been instrumental within the Jazz’s effort. There wasn’t a single one who appeared to lack depth on Wednesday evening and each person who performed for the Jazz, scored.
Low Notes
- There are solely a few issues to criticize within the Jazz’s efficiency towards the Warriors and they're small gripes. First, the Jazz must do a greater job of calling out to teammates when there's a defender trailing behind the particular person with the ball. The Jazz get picked off too actually because they don’t yell “wolf” or “trailer” to somebody within the open court docket.
- Mitchell undoubtedly had an unimaginable sport, however I felt like he may have completed extra to get inside and assault the Warriors. He didn’t go to the free throw line a single time and that’s often a sign that a participant isn’t being aggressive sufficient. That being mentioned, he was doing a lot to impression the sport elsewhere that it doesn’t actually matter, particularly as a result of the Jazz got here away with the win.
Flat Notes
- Mitchell wanted simply three assists within the second half to complete off a triple-double and he acquired only one. It wasn’t for lack of attempting. Each participant who handed up a shot after getting the ball from Mitchell and each participant who missed a shot after getting a go from Mitchell ought to really feel terrible. (That is absolute sarcasm and nobody ought to really feel terrible. The Jazz have gone 14 years with out a regular-season triple-double and so they’re doing simply positive with out it.)