So, the Utah Jazz are playing pretty well.
In their first two road games down south, the Jazz have put up more than 120 points and have shot over 54 percent from the floor. Utah’s 25-point win against the Hawks and a thoroughly depressed city of Atlanta seemed semi-flukey, but Wednesday’s dominant 127-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans (you can’t have the name back — sorry) marked the Jazz’s fourth straight W and might indicate things are clicking in.
Update — Jazz have scored 210 points in the last 7 quarter against the #4 and #8 defense in NBA – @andyblarsen your turn
— David Locke (@Lockedonsports) February 9, 2017
Still missing starting shooting guard Rodney Hood, Utah was led in scoring by 7-time All-Star Joe Johnson. The Pellies and head coach Alvin Gentry made the bold decision not to guard JJ on the perimeter, and he nailed his-jersey-number-amount of threes (6) on his way to 27 points in 24 minutes.
Joe Johnson poured in 27 points (10/14 fg, 6/8 3pt) off the bench tonight! #TakeNote #UTAatNOP pic.twitter.com/PYiF2iTFyG
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 9, 2017
“Well Joe, one of the best things about him is that he’s really taking good shots and he is comfortable trying to make the right play,” head coach Quin Snyder said of the emerging sixth-man’s play. “For a guy whose nickname is Iso-Joe, he sure is a good passer. That’s really where it started with him. He’s been, a lot of nights, the guy that’s facilitating. It’s good to see the ball coming back to him. Usually, when the ball moves that way, good players will make shots and that’s what he did tonight.”
It’ll be interesting to watch JJ’s production tomorrow night in Texas. The 35-year-old plays much better with more than one day of rest, which makes him very valuable when the playoffs roll around. Curious what that means for a SEGABABA in February.
With a back-to-back tomorrow night in Dallas, Rudy Gobert was the only Jazzman to clock 30 minutes. In fact, every available body was emptied off the bench in the routing of the Pelicans.
“I have too much energy now after that, so I have some for tomorrow,” Rudy joked after the game.
New Orleans hung around in the first half, thanks to a combined 35 points from Jrue Holiday, Terrence Jones and bench mobber E-Twaun Moore. The home team shot over 60 percent in the half, but the numbers would come crashing down in the final 24, which the Jazz dominated.
Utah limited the Pelicans to a 16-point third quarter and outscored NOLA 65-41 in the half. The Jazz’s defense — and that one guy named Rudy Gobert — limited All-Star big man and questionable eyebrow groomer Anthony Davis to just 12 points on 4-12 shooting and a stunningly yikes-y plus-minus of -35. BTW, Brow is averaging 27.9 points this season when he doesn’t have to post up against the Stifle Tower and an increasingly mobile Derrick Favors.
Anthony Davis shot chart vs. Utah Jazz, Feb. 8 via NBA.com
Hey, it kind of looks like Kenny from “South Park.”
That’s right. The Jazz killed Kenny.
Rudy had 10/16 plus two blocks and three assists in addition to limiting Davis’ production on the floor. He also spiked a Jrue shot attempt to kingdom come, which is kind of silly.
That's gotta be some kind of distance record, right??? #DPOY#TakeNote #UTAatNOP pic.twitter.com/EeX0jpvcPn
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 9, 2017
The Jazz’s bench gave them a real boost in this one, meaning the starters could play below their season average minutes. In fact, 67 points came from guys whose names weren’t announced over the PA before the opening tip, including 11 points and 5 assists from Dante Exum and 13 points and 5 rebounds from Alec Burks, who can’t not fall down after he does anything. Someone check on that kid’s center of gravity, por favor.
Houdini – pt. 1 #UTAatNOP pic.twitter.com/ORjPPjFtKr
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 9, 2017
There weren’t many categories in which Utah didn’t hold the statistical edge: Rebounding (48-37), shot attempts (88-77), points in the paint (58-46) and assists (25-17). The defense was locked and loaded, keeping the Pelicans off the three-point line, and limiting those makes as New Orleans went 5-24 for a meager 20.8 percent.
“They just beat us in every phase of the game,” Gentry said, giving the Jazz credit for the dominant performance. “Their execution was flawless. Defensively, they made it tough for us to get into any kind of offensive set and they shot the ball well. Joe Johnson shot it exceptionally well from three. Everything they do, they just execute, get the ball where they wanted to. They’re a very good basketball team.”
Everything about the Jazz’s play tonight was smart. I think this is what fans thought the Jazz could be when they were constructed. If the team can remain healthy, rotations are beginning to sort themselves out and the offense is finding its rhythm.
“Guys are making the right reads, the right passes, we’re playing together and I think because of that we’re getting some good looks, some open shots, easy stuff at the rim, and if you move the basketball like that you’re going to hit on average a lot of those shots if they’re wide open,” Gordon Hayward said of his team’s play.
The Jazz still sit at fourth place in the Western Conference and have a 34-19 record.
