J-Speaks: Strong "D" in Salt Lake City

Since becoming the head coach of the Utah Jazz four seasons ago, the calling card of Quin Snyder’s team has been defense. At the center of that defense, no pun intended is last season’s runner up for Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. When he missed 15 games because of injury earlier in the season, the team struggled, and their chances of making the playoffs were very low. Since the return of the guy whose nickname is the “Stifle Tower,” the Jazz have really been playing some solid defense. That, along with the play of an impactful rookie; the stellar play of their newest point guard; and the togetherness of the group in general, the Jazz went from a lottery team into one that is on the door step of making the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference. 

With their latest victory, 116-88 versus the Phoenix Suns (19-51), the now No. 7 Seeded Jazz (39-30) have won eight consecutive games and have won 20 of their last 22 games. 

The Jazz have pulled themselves out of a rough hole they found themselves in earlier this season thanks to their stellar play at the defensive end. 

Coming into their Thursday night tilt versus the Suns, the Jazz since Jan. 24 are ranked No. 1 in points allowed at 94.4; in opponent’s field goal percentage at 42.2; in opponent’s three-point percentage at 30.1; and are No. 5 in opponent’s points in the paint at 42.4. 

All of this seemed unimaginable a few weeks back, but the collective effort of the entire team has resulted in them going from a team that had a one-way ticket to the draft lottery to one that is right now in the No. 7 Spot in the West. 

A perfect example of this occurred in the third quarter when starting lead guard Ricky Rubio was body-blocked to the hardwood by Suns forward Jared Dudley, which led to a scrum in front of the Suns bench. Second-year forward Marquese Chriss then proceeded to push Rubio down moments later. 

Jazz sharp shooter Joe Ingles and rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell stood up for their teammate instantly. 

After the officials went to the video monitor at the scorer’s table for review, Dudley was assessed with a flagrant two foul, and he and Chriss were both ejected from the game, Ingles and Mitchell received technical fouls. 

“On this team, we all love each other, so that makes it easy to stick up for each other,” Mitchell said after the win. 

That togetherness that has gotten the Jazz into the playoff picture has really shown at the defensive end and the Suns have seen up close the kind of vice grip the Jazz can put onto your offensive production. 

In their first meeting on Feb. 2, the Jazz blew out the Suns on their home court 129-97, where the visitors took control of the game outscoring them 34-17 in the second quarter and never looked back. 

The Suns were held to 41.4 percent shooting. Were a dismal 9 for 33 from three-point range and got crushed on the glass 55-43. The Jazz registered six blocks and outscored the Suns 58-46 in the paint. 

Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell registered his six game of 30-plus points on the season with 40 points, on shy of his career-high he had earlier this season, on 14 for 19 from the field, including a career-high seven three-pointers in nine attempts. Gobert had 10 points, nine boards and five blocks. 

In their second in Salt Lake City, UT on Valentine’s night, the Jazz earned their 11^th win in a row by taking down the Suns again 107-97, thanks to outscoring them 35-26 in the fourth quarter on Valentine’s night. 

On a night where they shot just 42.4 percent from the field and allowed the Suns to go 12 for 29 from three-point range, the Jazz again out-rebounded them 59-49, including 14-5 on the offensive glass, had 22 assists and dominated them in points in the paint again 52-40. 

Mitchell, who became the first rookie in NBA history to lead his team in scoring during their respective team’s 11-game winning streak with a 21.3 average led the way with 24 points, along with seven assists on 10 for 24 shooting. 

Fellow rookie Royce O’Neale, who has worked his way into the starting rotation because of his ability to guard some of the best perimeter players in the league had a career-high 19 points, with five boards and two steals on the night. 

Gobert and fellow starter at forward Derrick Favors dominated in the paint with double-doubles with the Jazz starting center going for 14 points and 17 rebounds, while the former Georgia Tech product had 18 points and 12 boards. 

In the Jazz’s third victory of the season against the Suns on Thursday night and as mentioned earlier their eighth straight overall, the home team took control by outscoring them 36-20 in the second quarter, and broke things open by outscoring them 35-22 in the fourth. 

The Jazz held the Suns to just 38.6 percent from the field, and while the battle on the boards was much closer this time, but still in favor of the Jazz 64-61, the Jazz registered eight block shots; compiled 12 steals, forcing 22 Suns turnovers that led to 19 points and crushed them in the paint outscoring them 54-34. 

Suns star guard Devin Booker for one of the rare times this season was held in check scoring just 12 points on 3 for 18 from the field. 

Mitchell, led the way with 23 points 10 for 21 shooting, with six boards. Gobert garnered a double-double with 21 points and 13 boards, with two blocks. Swingman Joe Ingles had 17 points, hitting 4 for 9 from three-point range. Jae Crowder, who the Jazz acquired at the trade deadline on Feb. 8 had another strong game with 15 points and eight boards off the bench, while starting lead guard Ricky Rubio chipped in with 12 points and 11 assists, with four steals. In his first game of the season, reserve guard Dante Exum, who had been shelved because of a shoulder that he hurt back in the preseason had 10 points in 14 minutes. 

“We have a group of guys here that put the team first and we all care about winning and defending,” Gobert said after the game. 

The Jazz showed the kind of love and togetherness for one another one game prior on Tuesday night where they dominated the Detroit Pistons (30-38) 110-79 where they registered 42 first quarter points, on 17 for 21 (81 percent), and scoring on their final 10 possessions to take a 42-21 lead after the first. 

In the Jazz’s seven straight win of their eight in succession, they held the Pistons to 37.5 percent from the floor on the night, while out-rebounding them 60-39. The Jazz went 13 for 34 from three-point range, while holding their visitors to just 5 for 25 from deep. They had 29 assists and outscored the Pistons in the paint 48-34. 

“We came out with the right frame of mind, just to defend and paying attention to detail on defense,” Snyder, whose team improved to 27-5 when holding the opposition under the century mark this season. “When you do that, you become instinctive offensively. I thought our reads, early were really good. Made good decisions. Made the extra pass.” 

It is one thing to play together and be one heartbeat on both sides of the basketball, but every great basketball team has one guy who can flat out take the game over and be a difference maker. 

For the Jazz, they have two in Gobert who impacts the game defensively and Mitchell, a rookie who impacts the squad offensively, having registered at least 25 points in 22 games this season. To put that into context, the rest of the 2017-18 NBA rookie class has 30 total games of that number. 

“He’s just a kid. He can score at the perimeter. He can score at the basket. He can score in the midrange. He can find way to get to the foul line. He scores in transition,” Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune said on the Thursday edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg.  

The best example of this came in Utah’s 116-99 win at the New Orleans Pelicans (39-29) on Mar. 11. 

After scoring just two points in the opening half, Mitchell exploded for 25 of his 27 points in the second half, with 15 of those coming the last 3:08 of the third quarter that put the Jazz ahead for good as they outscored the Pelicans 68-48 in the second half. 

Rubio led the way with a double-double of 30 points, 10 boards and seven assists, on 10 for 22 from the field, which included four three-pointers. Ingles had 20 points, while Gobert had another double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds, with two block shots. 

There were many points this season where they Utah Jazz could have felt sorry for themselves and decided that this was not their season, especially before it began when they lost All-Star Gordon Hayward in free agency when he signed with the Boston Celtics this summer. When Gobert was shelved two separate times this season because of injury. When they were 19-28 and staring at a trip to the draft lottery. 

Instead, the Jazz picked themselves off the pavement winning as mentioned 20 of their next 22 games, which includes an incredible 11 straight wins on the road. 

At the forefront has been as mentioned has been Utah’s stellar play at the defensive end, led by Rudy Gobert. Their ability to share the ball on offense. The surprising play of the No. 13 overall pick out of Louisville in last June’s draft in Donovan Mitchell, whose given Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Ben Simmons a run for his money in capturing the 2018 Rookie of the Year award. 

That togetherness and respect for one another is what can allow someone like Dante Exum, who has played in just 149 games since being drafted No. 5 overall four years ago can come back and want to be a contributor to a team that if they make the playoffs will give either the No. 1 Seeded Houston Rockets (54-14) or the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors (52-17) at No. 2, who they defeated 129-99 on Jan. 30 during this run a serious challenge. 

“He made a choice that he was going to attack it,” Snyder said of Exum’s focus when it came to his rehabilitation of his shoulder. “There’s been a determination…not just to rehabilitate his shoulder, but also to stay connected mentally and stay a part of the group is something that he’s (done). It would be easy to disconnect and become detached and wallow in your misery and he just didn’t do that.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/15/18 7 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “10 Before Tip,” with Jared Greenberg; www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/utah/utah-jazz; www.espn.com/nba/coaches/_/id/52801/quin-snyder; and www.espn.com/nba/standings.