SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz head to Orlando on Tuesday to continue practicing for the NBA restart later this month. On Sunday, the media had a chance to hear from Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and guard Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson has been active in the Black Lives Matter movement, and he […]
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz head to Orlando on Tuesday to continue practicing for the NBA restart later this month.
On Sunday, the media had a chance to hear from Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and guard Jordan Clarkson.
Clarkson has been active in the Black Lives Matter movement, and he said he had doubts about whether the return of basketball would overshadow the fight for social injustice.
“It isn’t the ideal situation for us to go play now but we are going in,” he said. “I know a lot of players have agendas and things they want to put out using their platform.”
Clarkson has used his platform by participating in marches and being active on social media. And he has strong words for those who think athletes should just stick to sports.
“I think that everybody who is saying shut up and dribble, maybe they should shut up and go look in the mirror,” he said. “Really think to yourself, there really is something wrong so you got to face it and something has to change, its a problem that everybody is noticing.”
Clarkson was one of the players who thought hard about not going to Orlando, for fear of risking injury coming in to a contract year.
“After I read through a lot of stuff, I don’t think the NBA is going to put us in any kind of harms way,” he said. “I want to go hoop! I’m bored sitting at home and ready to go back to work.”
But the players will be going to work without their teammate, Bojan Bogdanovic, who is out after having wrist surgery. So everyone is going to need to step up.
Head coach Quin Snyder says flexibility is going to be a key.
“I think one of the key things to this experience is being able to adapt,” Snyder said.
“All of us are going to have to step up, Royce, Mike, Donny, just go down the list,” Clarkson added. “That’s a big loss for us but everybody is going to have to step up and make it happen.”
Snyder always preaches defense, but he knows finding more offense with Bogdanovic out will be important as well.
“I think we need to get a lot of shots, I think we need to play with confidence,” Snyder said. “We’re a group that needs to be in attack mode.”
Even though the Jazz have yet to be on the court at the same time, Snyder feels like his team is ready to go.
“The enthusiasm right now is around playing basketball,” he said. “The format is foreign to everybody, it’s new, but the courts and the baskets and the balls are the same whether there are fans or not. Guys are going to compete and I know our guys are looking forward to having that opportunity.”
It’s been 3 1/2 months since the NBA suspended its 2019-29 season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. But the Utah Jazz star says he’s still feeling the effects of the virus. During a recent interview with French outlet L’Equipe, Gobert said he’s regained his sense of taste, but his sense of smell hasn’t…
It’s been 3 1/2 months since the NBA suspended its 2019-29 season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. But the Utah Jazz star says he’s still feeling the effects of the virus.
During a recent interview with French outlet L’Equipe, Gobert said he’s regained his sense of taste, but his sense of smell hasn’t completely returned. Loss of taste and smell, of course, are two key signs of the coronavirus. “The taste has returned, but the smell is still not 100 percent. I can smell the smells, but not from afar,” he said, according to NBC Sports via Google Translate. “I spoke to specialists who told me that it could take up to a year.” Yikes. Gobert and Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell were the first two NBA players to test positive for the coronavirus March 11.
The two were medically cleared March 27, though Gobert’s carelessness surrounding the virus put a major strain on the pair’s relationship.
Thumbnail photo via Jeffrey Swinger/USA TODAY Sports Images
Utah Jazz Forward Bojan Bogdanovic will not be returning to the Jazz this season. Bogdanovic will be undergoing surgery on his right wrist that will make him miss the remainder of the season if the NBA returns. Bogdanovic hurt his right wrist earlier on in the season, but decided to keep playing and have surgery […]
Things between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert apparently have been a bit strained the last two months, to say the least. The two Jazz teammates tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of Utah’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on March 11, prompting the NBA to indefinitely suspend the 2019-20 season.…
Things between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert apparently have been a bit strained the last two months, to say the least. The two Jazz teammates tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of Utah’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on March 11, prompting the NBA to indefinitely suspend the 2019-20 season. Gobert took plenty of heat after acting carelessly about the virus in the days leading up to his diagnosis, from comments downplaying its severity to playfully touching reporters’ microphones to make a point.
Donovan reportedly was initially “reluctant” to mend fences with Gobert after the two tested positive for the coronavirus, but things appear to have changed.
Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey says the two “know they need each other to accomplish the goals that we want to accomplish, to be the last team standing in the NBA.”
“I think they both have spoken to this. They’re ready to put this behind them and move forward, act professionally,” Lindsey said Tuesday during a Zoom conference call, per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. “The night of March (11) was really unprecedented and brought a microscope to our team, and we get it.”
“… We look forward to moving forward. They’ve said their piece to each other. They’ve both visited at the ownership level, at management level, at coaching level, the players level. They’re fulling participating in our Zoom workouts.”
Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 before the league suspended the season March 11. Donovan Mitchell was the second. And, as you might have expected, things between the Utah Jazz teammates are a bit strained. Rumors suggest Mitchell is “reluctant” to mend fences with Gobert after Gobert’s stunts before…
Rumors suggest Mitchell is “reluctant” to mend fences with Gobert after Gobert’s stunts before testing positive for the coronavirus, though it did not appear “salvageable.” Gobert had joked around about the severity of the virus prior to testing positive. On Sunday, Gobert opened up to Bleacher Report’s Talyor Rooks about his relationship with his All-Star teammate. “It’s true that we didn’t speak for a while after (testing positive), but we did speak a few days ago,” Gobert told Rooks on Instagram Live on Sunday. “And you know, like I said, we’re both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team. You know, it’s all about being a professional. Everyone’s got different relationships. It’s never perfect. People that are married, it’s never perfect. So, you know, (things between) me and my teammate, it’s far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing, and it’s winning. We’re both grown men and going to do what it takes to win.”
Donovan Mitchell has overcome COVID-19, the bout with the virus might prove to have a lasting impact on the Jazz guard. Saturday will mark one month since the NBA officially put the 2019-20 NBA season on pause. The decision came after it was revealed Utah big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Days prior…
NBA Rumors: Donovan Mitchell ‘Reluctant’ To Mend Fences With Rudy Gobert — NESN.com Donovan Mitchell has overcome COVID-19, the bout with the virus might prove to have a lasting impact on the Jazz guard. Saturday will mark one month since the NBA officially put the 2019-20 NBA season on pause. The decision came after it was revealed Utah big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Days prior to the positive test, Gobert seemingly mocked the severity of the virus by touching all the microphones at a media availability and he reportedly was careless in the locker room as well. Mitchell turned in a positive COVID-19 test one day after his All-Star teammate. But despite both players being cleared of the virus for weeks now, their relationship reportedly remains fractured, per a report from The Athletic. “The Jazz have already begun working on the Mitchell-Gobert relationship, but sources say Mitchell remains reluctant to fix what might have been broken,” the report reads. The Athletic also was told by a source that the Mitchell-Gobert relationship “doesn’t appear salvageable.” It will be difficult for all players and teams across the league to pick up where they left off whenever the NBA deems it is safe enough to resume play. But judging from The Athletic’s report, it sounds like it will be particularly challenging for the Jazz, who held the fourth seed in the Western Conference prior to the pause.
Donovan Mitchell on Monday provided a fascinating update on his COVID-19 recovery. The Utah Jazz guard tested positive last week for the new coronavirus, which has caused a global pandemic and a total upending of United States sports. Mitchell, fellow Jazz star Rudy Gobert and Detroit Pistons big man Christian Wood are the only NBA…
Stephen A. Smith has shared some concerning information. Citing a source, the ESPN analyst reported Thursday on “First Take” that Donovan Mitchell showed no symptoms of illness prior to testing positive for COVID-19. The positive tests of Mitchell and Utah Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert prompted the NBA to suspend the 2019-20 season indefinitely. Sources tell @stephenasmith…
1:31 AM ET Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was ejected late during Monday’s 101-92 loss to the Toronto Raptors, and he didn’t mince words at his displeasure over getting tossed. “I don’t think it makes sense to me. But next time I’ll do justice myself so the official can eject me for a reason,” Gobert […]
Toronto Raptors : Brissett, Oshae Out G League – Two-Way Gasol, Marc Out Injury/Illness – Left Hamstring; Tightness – Injury management Hernandez, Dewan Out Injury/Illness – Right Ankle; Sprain VanVleet, Fred Out Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Soreness Watson, Paul Out G League – Two-Way Utah Jazz : Brantley, Jarrell Out G League – Two-Way Morgan, Juwan Available G League – On Assignment Tucker, Rayjon Available G League – On Assignment Williams-Goss, Nigel Out Injury/Illness – Left Quad; Contusion Wright-Foreman, Justin Out G League – Two-Way
RAPTORS NOTES • The Toronto Raptors complete a five-game Western Conference road trip (Mar. 1-9) Monday night when they visit the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Raptors have won three in a row vs. Utah. With a victory Monday, Toronto would sweep the season-series with the Jazz for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Raptors are 11-2 against Utah. • In the first meeting this season (Dec. 1), Pascal Siakam scored 35 points, Fred VanVleet had 21 points and 11 assists, and the Raptors used a record-setting first half to beat the Jazz 130-110. Toronto led 77-37 at the intermission, the biggest halftime lead in franchise history, the biggest in the NBA this season, and tied for the eighth largest in league history. It also marked the biggest halftime deficit in Jazz history. • Norman Powell scored a game-high 31 points Mar. 8 at Sacramento. Powell has now scored 30+ points in consecutive games (Mar. 5-8) for the first time in his career, including a career-high 37 points Thursday at Golden State. He is averaging 37.0 points and is shooting .571 (24-42) from the field, including 50 percent (10-20) from three-point range, over the last two games. Three of Powell’s four career 30-point outings have come this season. • Toronto is currently 9-3 on the road vs. the Western Conference. The Raptors are the only Eastern Conference team to finish with a +.500 record on the road against the west in each of the last five seasons (2015-20). Since the start of the 2015-16 campaign, Toronto is 44-28 (.611) when facing a Western Conference opponent away from Scotiabank Arena. • Pascal Siakam is averaging career highs of 23.6 points and 7.5 rebounds through 52 games played this season. Only two players in Raptors history have finished a season averaging at least 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds: Chris Bosh in 2009–10 (24.0, 10.8) and Kawhi Leonard in 2018–19 (26.6, 7.3). • OG Anunoby finished 12 points and two rebounds Sunday at Sacramento. Anunoby has now scored in double figures in a career-high six straight games (Feb. 25 – Mar. 8). He is averaging 16.0 points and is shooting .565 (35-62) from the floor, including 52 per cent (13-25) from three-point distance, during this span. Anunoby scored a career-best 32 points Mar. 1 at Denver. • Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry scored 31 and 30 points, respectively, Sunday vs. the Kings. The duo became just the fifth starting backcourt to each score 30 points in a game for Toronto, joining Lowry and DeMar DeRozan (four times), Mike James and Morris Peterson (twice), Vince Carter and Jalen Rose (once) and DeRozan and Cory Joseph (once). Over the last five games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 8), Lowry and Powell have combined to average 52.4 points. • The Raptors have not lost games on consecutive days since Dec. 26–27, 2017 (at Dallas and Oklahoma City). Toronto has played 30 pairs of games on back-to-back days since then (not including the current back-to-back set), sweeping both games 12 times and splitting 18 times. • Toronto’s starting lineup combined for 111 points Sunday against Sacramento. The Raptors starting five shot .544 (37-68) from the field, including .459 (17-37) from beyond the arc.
• Contributed 12 points, two rebounds and one steal in 39 minutes Mar. 8 at Sacramento. • Toronto is 25-7 this season when Anunoby scores 10 or more points. • Shooting .520 (13-for-25) from three-point range over the last six games (Feb. 25 – Mar. 8).
• Finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in 38 minutes Mar. 8 at Sacramento. • Ranks 15th in the NBA in scoring (23.6); averaging 26.0 points against the West Conference this season. • Has scored 30+ points 15 times; had five 30-point performances in 80 games played last season.
• Recorded 15 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 36 minutes Mar. 8 at Sacramento. • Averaging 17.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 31.3 minutes in 26 games as a starter this season. • Is the only player in NBA history with 500+ three-point field goals and 1,500+ blocks.
• Led all scorers with 31 points Mar. 8 at Sacramento; added five assists and two rebounds in 43 minutes. • Averaging 19.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 33.3 minutes in 22 start this season. • Has scored 20 or more points in five straight games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 8); averaging 28.0 points during this stretch.
• Totaled 30 points, a game-high eight assists, five rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes Mar. 8 at Sacramento. • Ranks seventh in the NBA in assists per game (7.7); has dished out 10+ assists 14 times. • Has scored 20+ points in four of the last five games (Feb. 28 – Mar. 8); averaging 24.4 points during this span.
TONIGHT’S GAME DETAILS Opponent: Utah Jazz Date: Monday, March 9 Tip-Off: 9 p.m. (ET) Venue: Vivint Smart Home Arena Television: TSN Radio: Sportsnet 590 The FAN
SERIES RECAP VS. UTAH
OVERALL HOME ROAD 2019-20 1-0 1-0 0-0 ALL-TIME 19-27 10-13 9-14 STREAKS Won 3 Won 2 Won 3
LAST WIN: December 1, 2019 (130-110)
LAST ROAD WIN: November 5, 2018 (124-111)
LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY: +24, November 9, 2013
LARGEST MARGIN OF DEFEAT: -32, December 7, 2012
LAST TIME VS. UTAH
GAME 19 – DECEMBER 1, 2019 TORONTO 130, UTAH 110
TORONTO — The Utah Jazz scored nine points in the first four minutes of the game … The Toronto Raptors scored 72 points over the next 20 … Pascal Siakam had 35 points, Fred VanVleet had 21 points and 11 assists, and the Raptors beat the Utah Jazz 130-110 with an historic first half … The Raptors led 77-37 through two quarters — the biggest halftime lead in Raptors history, and the largest in the league this season … It’s also tied for the eighth biggest halftime lead in NBA history, and the largest deficit at the break ever for Utah … The Raptors stretched their season-high winning streak to seven games … Norman Powell scored 15 points, Serge Ibaka had 13 in his first game since missing 10 with an ankle injury, Terence Davis had 13, Marc Gasol scored all 11 of his points in the first quarter, and OG Anunoby and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 10 apiece … Mike Conley had 20 points to lead Utah … Toronto took off on a 23-2 run in the first quarter … Utah found its form in the third quarter, shooting 60 per cent and paring Toronto’s lead briefly to 16 … Toronto held Utah to 5-for-25 shooting in the second quarter … The Jazz hit 16 of their first 19 shots in the third … Utah outscored Toronto 49-30 in third, and Toronto took a 107-86 advantage into the fourth.
1 2 3 4 TOT
UTAH 20 17 49 24 110
TORONTO 37 40 30 23 130
UTAH LAST GAME’S STARTERS (19-20 Averages)
44 BOJAN BOGDANOVIĆ F • 6-8 • 226 • Croatia PPG • 20.5 RPG • 4.2 APG • 2.1 • Posted career-highs in points (18.0), rebounds (4.1), assists (2.0), steals (0.9), field goal percentage (.497) and 3-point percentage (.425) last season with the Indiana Pacers • Ranked 38th in field goal percentage and 10th in 3-point percentage in the league last year
23 ROYCE O’NEALE F • 6-4 • 222 • Baylor PPG • 6.1 RPG • 5.3 APG • 2.6 • Has played internationally in Spain and Germany • Was born in Harker Heights, Texas • Third on the team in field goal percentage in 2018-19 (.475) (min. 200 attempts)
27 RUDY GOBERT C • 7-1 • 258 • Cholet Basket PPG • 15.2 RPG • 13.9 BPG • 2.0 • Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019) • 2016-17 All-NBA Second Team and 2018-19 All-NBA Third Team • First player since Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67) to total over 1,200 points on better than 65 percent shooting and 1,000 rebounds in a single season (2018-19)
45 DONOVAN MITCHELL G • 6-1 • 220 • Louisville PPG • 24.4 RPG • 4.4 APG • 4.3 • Led all NBA sophomores in scoring in 2018-19 (23.8 ppg) • Two-time Western Conference Player of the Week (1/6-1/13 & 2/25-3/3) • Tied career-high scoring 46 points against New Orleans on 1/16/20
10 MIKE CONLEY G • 6-0 • 180 • Ohio State PPG • 13.9 RPG • 3.2 APG • 4.3 • Currently one of only 10 active players to have totaled over 11,000 points, 4,500 assists, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals. • Named to the 2012-13 All-NBA Defensive Second Team. • Named 2019 Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year. 2019.
NOTES
DONOVAN FROM DEEP Donovan Mitchell has now made 528 three-point field goals in his career. He is fourth all time in the NBA in three pointers made in the first three seasons of his career, trailing Buddy Hield (602), Damian Lillard (599) and Klay Thompson (545).
BOGEY’S EFFICIENCY Bojan Bogdanović is currently one of two players in the NBA averaging over 20 points per game while shooting at least 40 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line, joining the Bucks Khris Middleton.
ROAD DOMINANCE The Jazz this season have put together two road winning streaks of at least six games, the first coming 12/28/19 through 1/14/20 (six games), and the second being the current road win streak beginning on 2/9/20 (currently at six games). Per the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time the Jazz have put together two separate road winning streaks of at least six games since the 1994-1995 season.
LAST 5 PLAYERS TO TOTAL 4,500+ PTS, 800+ REBS AND 800+ ASTS WITHIN THEIR FIRST 200 NBA GAMES # PLAYER GP PTS REBS ASTS 1 Donovan Mitchell 200 4,530 802 800 2 LeBron James 200 5,097 1,298 1,299 3 Dwyane Wade 200 4,564 1,005 1,212 4 Allen Iverson 200 4,699 827 1,272 5 Michael Jordan 200 6,351 1,120 1,030 FASTEST ACTIVE PLAYERS TO 1,000 BLOCKS Rank Player Games 1 Serge Ibaka 383 2 Anthony Davis 414 3 Rudy Gobert 462 MOST 20+ PT GAMES THROUGH FIRST 200 GAMES WITH JAZZ # PLAYER GP # 1 Donovan Mitchell 200 134 2 Darrell Griffith 200 121 3 Karl Malone 200 102 4 Deron Williams 200 49 5 Rodney Hood 200 33 MOST 30+ PT GAMES THROUGH FIRST 200 GAMES WITH JAZZ # PLAYER GP # 1 Donovan Mitchell 200 36 2 Darrell Griffith 200 26 3 Karl Malone 200 21 4 Deron Williams 200 7 5 Carlos Boozer 200 3 MOST PTS THROUGH FIRST 200 GAMES WITH JAZZ # PLAYER GP PTS 1 Donovan Mitchell 200 4,530 2 Darrell Griffith 200 4,172 3 Karl Malone 200 3,930 4 Deron Williams 200 2,939 5 Rodney Hood 200 2,518
THREE-POINTERS MADE IN FIRST THREE SEASONS # PLAYER 3PM 1 Buddy Hield 602 2 Damian Lillard 599 3 Klay Thompson 545 4 Donovan Mitchell 528 5 Kyle Korver 491
RUDY’S ALL-AROUND GAME Rudy Gobert is currently the only player in the NBA to be averaging a point-rebound double-double while also shooting greater than 65 percent from the field.
JAZZ JUMP SHOTS The Utah Jazz lead the NBA in three-point percentage (tied with Miami), shooting 38.3 percent from deep this season. The Jazz are also third in the NBA in field goal percentage at 47.6 percent.
46 FOR 45 On 1/16/20 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Donovan Mitchell poured in 46 points on 16 made field goals, including seven three-pointers. The 46 points ties a career-high for Mitchell, which he also scored last season against Milwaukee on 3/2/19.
BEATING THE BUZZER On 2/10 against the Houston, Bojan Bogdanovic buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Jazz a 114-113 win over Houston. There have been four buzzer beaters this season, with Bogdanovic hitting two of them. Bojan also helped Jazz defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on 11/8 thanks to a heroic three-pointer at the buzzer, giving him 33 points on the evening.
SUPER SECOND ROUNDER Bojan Bogdanović is currently posting 20.5 points per contest, which makes him tied for the second leading scorer in the league for all active players drafted in the second round just behind Spencer Dinwiddie (20.7).
COLORADO CLARKSON On 1/30/20 against the Denver Nuggets, Jordan Clarkson scored made 13 field goals, including seven made three-pointers, on his way to 37 points. This was a season high in scoring for Clarkson and the second highest scoring game off the bench in the NBA this year, trailing only a 42-point effort from Buddy Hield.
4K MITCHELL After putting in 22 points against Memphis on 12/7, Donovan Mitchell eclipsed the 4,000-point mark in his 179th career game. He becomes just the fourth Jazzman to record at least 4,000 points in less than 200 games, joining Adrian Dantley (135 games), Pete Maravich (165 games) and Darrell Griffith (194 games).
RESILIENT JAZZ By completing a comeback victory over the Wizards on 2/28, the Jazz recorded their 14th win of the season after trailing at halftime. This is the second most wins when trailing at half this year behind only the Denver Nuggets (16).
BIG MAN BUCKETS Rudy Gobert is second the NBA in field goal percentage this season, shooting 70.1 percent from the field. This mark is the highest shooting percentage of Gobert’s career.
30-POINT DUO During the 109-102 win against the Orlando Magic on 12/17, Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanović became the first Jazz duo to each tally 30-point games in a single contest since Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams did so against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 28, 2008.
FRENCHMEN CAN DUNK Rudy Gobert leads the NBA in dunks this season with 205. Giannis Antetokounmpo (174), Mitchell Robinson (172), Jarrett Allen (160) and Anthony Davis (142) round out the top five in dunks.
2019-20 NBA THREE POINT PERCENTAGE LEADERS # TEAM % T-1 Utah Jazz 0.383 T-1 Miami Heat 0.383 3 New Orleans Pelicans 0.373 T-4 Washington Wizards 0.371 T-4 Toronto Raptors 0.371 2ND ROUNDERS PPG PLAYER PPG 1 Khris Middleton 20.7 T-2 Spencer Dinwiddie 20.5 T-2 Bojan Bogdanovic 20.5 T-2 Nikola Jokic 20.5 FASTEST JAZZMEN TO 4,000 POINTS PLAYER GP 1 Adrian Dantley 135 2 Pete Maravich 165 3 Donovan Mitchell 179 4 Darrell Griffith 194 2019-20 NBA FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE PLAYER FG% 1 Mitchell Robinson 0.734 2 Rudy Gobert 0.701 3 Jarrett Allen 0.645 4 Clint Capela 0.629 5 Brandon Clarke 0.623 2019-20 NBA DUNK LEADERS PLAYER DUNKS 1 Rudy Gobert 205 2 Giannis Antetokounmpo 174 3 Mitchell Robinson 172 4 Jarrett Allen 160 5
(12-8) UTAH JAZZ, 110 VS. (15-4) TORONTO RAPTORS, 130 SCOTIABANK ARENA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2019
TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES
NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)
On the first half… We really did want to get out there and play with some pace. It is a good half court defensive team, we didn’t want to have to face (Rudy) Gobert at the rim as much as we could. We obviously wanted to get out and play with some pace but creating all those turnovers and getting out and running anytime is going to be good offence.
Was that the best half you have seen from that group? Yes, for sure. Shots were going in, defence was tough each possession, just about every possession. Those things feed each other, the defence feeds the offence.
On the third quarter… I think it was 40 at the half and down inside 20 pretty quickly. The history of it being 40, there is plenty of game left when it’s down to 19 with six to go in the third. That is manageable. We were trying to change some coverages and get a little more active and we just weren’t. They did a good job of getting downhill and firing it out and made all those shots. We just weren’t coming up with any stops – but I don’t really want to talk about that third quarter, if that’s all right. I am happy that we get a 20 point win against a quality team like that, you take that every day of the week.
On Serge Ibaka’s return to the lineup… He has a lot of experience in a lot of big games. He was a little rusty as you could see, but you know I think again, I always say what makes Serge special is when he really gets his motor cooking and he is blocking shots, he is a really intimidating factor in a game. We don’t lose those games very often. We he is cooking and going, he becomes a great presence on defence and his offence has been really solid this year.
On Fred VanVleet having zero turnovers… He handles it low to the ground, right? Uses his body to protect it, he’s got it on a string. I wouldn’t call him super quick but his movements are so deceptive that he will head fake one way and he is by a guy into the open. He just really knows how to play. He has a good knack of again, getting himself in and out of trouble. If he’s getting in trouble, he can escape dribble out of a double team a lot. He has an incredible knack for taking on bigger people at the rim, getting his body into them and somehow getting a pretty good layup up there. I think that is good, then they throw some size at him or they make a switch or whatever, he can score over people and if he can he will keep his dribble alive and squirt out the other side and try and find somebody.
MARC GASOL (11 points, five rebounds, six assists)
How important is it to make shots early with a shot blocker like Rudy Gobert out there? It’s just not the shot, it’s just having the ball out there, post him away from the basket because they want him to pressure me and make those passes at the elbow harder to see. There are different ways to get him away from the basket. Once he goes and collapses, spacing and moving without the ball is kind of important.
Is it strange to see Mike Conley in another jersey? Yeah, but we are so fortunate and it’s just great seeing him happy, healthy and that is all I can ask for. We had a great time last night, a great dinner and catching up, and now I can’t wait to go see his family when we go to Utah.
FRED VANVLEET (21 points, 11 assists, five rebounds)
How tough is it to play with a lead like that at the half? Yeah, it’s tough. It’s probably one of the harder things to do in the league is to play with a lead, especially a big lead like that, against a good team. I don’t think any of us expected to be up by 40 against that team. That’s the way the game goes sometimes and, as poorly as they played in the first half they, played just as good in the third quarter and they were able to shrink the lead a little bit. That’s the point of getting up big is to give yourself a cushion to finish out the game. I thought we did a good job in the fourth.
Are you surprised by the team’s play with guys out? Not really, I think the biggest thing for us was that road trip, just guys that haven’t played and throw them in there and have them fit in seamlessly and play as well as they’ve been playing. So I knew that we had enough talent, the resolve and coaching that we needed to win games. It’s just a matter of plugging guys in that haven’t played and those guys have been playing unbelievable. Not really surprised, more so just pleased with how we’ve been playing and something we need to continue to do and we are about a quarter of the way in, so we’ve got to continue to keep building and getting better. Once everybody gets back, that will probably be our real challenge, to start back over and try to find chemistry and minutes and figuring everything out from there.
PASCAL SIAKAM (35 points, five assists, five rebounds) On bouncing back after a tough shooting game in Orlando… You’re just mad. I’m mad at myself, as a competitor, I’ve always been that way. You understand that there are bad games and you are going to have games where shots are not going to fall, but at the same time, coming in the next game as a competitor, you have that mentality to get back to it and you want to get on the floor. For me, I wanted to play yesterday, that’s how bad I wanted it, so it’s part of the game, you continue to learn, continue to grow. In games where you are not going to score, you’ve got to find a way to help your team in other ways and as long as we are winning, we are good.
On seeing extra bodies defending you … We kind of knew Gobert was going to help a lot. Just having Marc there, stretching the floor, making sure early we give him the ball, and he has to shoot them to make them think a little bit. Once they give me a little space, I’m definitely more comfortable that way and I can attack, so that’s what I did.
UTAH JAZZ QUOTES
QUIN SNYDER (HEAD COACH)
How would you sum up what happened in the first half?
Well, obviously, we were awful. I think the important thing for us is to understand, there were a lot of reasons, but I think our urgency to make certain things important defensively, whether that be an assignment or sprinting back, not running back, not jogging back, against a team like Toronto that runs the way they do. There were too many breakdowns in too many possessions where we lacked the urgency we needed, and then obviously the offensive end puts you in positions where sometimes it’s next to impossible to do that. So to me fundamentally on the offensive end, moving the ball, spacing correctly, all the things you have to do collectively when you play against an excellent defensive team, that it requires you to connect and not just play together, but really commit to one another to doing all the little things you have to do to be successful. You can be successful on a possession or two, but those are the habits and the details when a team is as aggressive and as committed as they were to guarding us that you need in order to execute all the little details.
Do you respond differently because it’s the second game in a row you didn’t come out well to begin the game?
That’s a question that I want to watch the game, but as far as our response you can see that a couple of ways. You can see how we responded in the second half the other night and won the game. We were so far down in the first half that it was difficult no matter how well we played to come back and win tonight’s game. Obviously, our focus to begin the game has to be better. When I say better, I think it has to be more directed to the things we need to do to be successful and sometimes those aren’t sweeping things. Sometimes it’s not making a shot, that can always happen but that doesn’t need to be your focus because that is something you can’t control. So far us to be able to control the things that we can, in order to do that we have to feel on a deep level that they are important.
MIKE CONLEY (20 points, three rebounds, two assists)
What happened in the first half?
It was disappointing. I think it was a lack of focus, which we shouldn’t have any lack of focus coming into a place like this. This is a team that we know is playing at a championship level, obviously, coming off of last season. We didn’t match their energy at all. We knew it was going to be physical. We didn’t handle the ball well, we didn’t get back on defense, we didn’t do the little things that the good teams do. We have control over that and that’s the most disappointing part of this. We just didn’t come to play in that first half.
What leads to that lack of focus coming into a game?
It’s tough. Every game is different. Tonight, I think it was just we got into a game where we were giving them too many fast-break opportunities because we were turning over the ball all over and making mental errors defensively. It was a snowball effect. Everybody kind of got down and we knew playing against a team like we (were) tonight you cannot have five minute spans where you don’t score or you don’t even get shot attempts up because you’re turning the ball over, or just not doing the small things that leads to wins. We’ve got to be better.
What went well in the third quarter?
Honestly, I thought it started defensively. We just started to pick it up, started being more physical, not worrying about foul calls, not worrying about contact, playing through things, not being so cool, just kind of getting into our uncomfortable zone. That’s something I talked to the guys with – be okay with being uncomfortable, try to work in that zone and I think that will help us. That’s something we were doing in that third quarter, we were playing hard and playing for each other, making extra passes and that’s Jazz basketball.
RUDY GOBERT (12 points, 11 rebounds)
On the first half …
They outplayed us on both ends. I think we, against the most physical team, turned the ball over a lot. They are also the best transition team in the NBA so they punished us on the other end. It went pretty quick, they just overpowered us in the first half, made some big stops and then we got down by, I don’t know, 37? 39? 40. Our offense really hurt us, our defense really hurt us, the turnovers really hurt us and then they got going.
Are the back-to-back slow starts a concern moving forward?
I don’t think it’s a concern. It’s something that we can look at and be better at it. Other great teams, they start the game well and they finish the game well. You can’t just start a game like we did and think that we are going to just come out in the third and the win the game like we did in Memphis. We have got to have a chip on our shoulder and it’s got to start at the first minute and every time we punch first we are going to be in a good position to win the game.
The view from left field 