The Jazz defense kept Golden State at 36% on shots behind two fine performances from Udoka Azubuike and Hassan Whiteside, Rudy Gobert’s usual understudy. It’s the fourth straight victory for Utah, while Golden State lost for the first time in ten games. It is also their heaviest defeat of the season.
Despite an initial 13-0 signed by the pair Jordan Poole – Otto Porter Jr, the Warriors only have a head start after the first quarter (31-30). Clever, the Jazz continues its momentum while Golden State chained the loss of balls and collided with the Whiteside wall, author of six counterattacks in 14 minutes of playing time! Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson give their team a 9-point lead but two award-winning shots from Stephen Curry limit the damage for the Warriors (55-49).
While Golden State went back in front with an 8-0, Donovan Mitchell, hitherto clumsy but nevertheless omnipresent, scored two winning shots in a row to restore the Jazz’s nine-point lead (69-60).
The two teams do not exceed 33% of success but the Warriors remain without the slightest basket for nearly five minutes. Result: Utah takes off (79-65). A 13-0 from the Jazz, concluded early in the last quarter, seals this easy victory and ends Golden State’s nine-game winning streak.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The size of the Jazz punishes the Warriors. Despite the absence of Rudy Gobert, still injured, the Jazz dictated their law near the circle on both sides of the field thanks to the impact of Udoka Azubuike and Hassan Whiteside. The latter had 6 blocks off the bench at halftime, while the presence of the two pivots limited Golden State to 20 points in the racket, to only 10 out of 23 on shots, against 48 points at Jazz! Utah also finished the game with a +17 rebound advantage. It is in this kind of match that the absence of Draymond Green, due to his activity and intensity, but also of James Wiseman, is sorely missed by the Warriors.
– A blistering 34-9. With eight minutes left in the third quarter, a Stephen Curry free throw put the two teams back to back at 58 all. What followed was a nightmare for Steve Kerr’s men. In the next twelve minutes, they scored just 9 points and conceded 34. Utah held them 13-0 straddling the third and fourth quarters, pushing the gap to 25 lengths and forcing Steve Kerr to empty his bench for a back-to-back at home against the Knicks tonight.
– Jazz’s strange triple-double dearth continues. With Donovan Mitchell at 5 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds at the break, Jazz fans could hope to see one of their players finally achieve a triple-double. We must indeed go back to Carlos Boozer on February 13, 2008 to see a player from Utah in a triple-double, an incredible shortage of 14 years, the longest of all NBA franchises. Unfortunately for the Jazz, Quin Snyder took out Donovan Mitchell with 4 minutes to play as his team led by 25 points…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Donovan Mitchell. Lacking skill (14 points to 5 of 15 on shots), the Jazz star compensated by taking 10 rebounds and distributing 8 assists to lead his team to an easy victory. He could have gotten that famous triple-double if Quin Snyder hadn’t spared him in the 4th quarter.
✅ Hassan Whiteside. 9 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks, all while coming off the bench. The pivot was monumental on both sides of the pitch the entire game.
⛔ Stephen Curry-Jordan Poole. The Warriors’ rear base, in the absence of Klay Thompson spared, took on water in the second half. Both players finished 10 of 27 on shots and lost 6 of their team’s 13 balls.
⛔ Damion Lee. The fullback played 27 minutes but finished with 0 points and 0 of 7 on shots.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (41-14): the Warriors will return to the comfort of the Chase Center and Klay Thompson for a back-to-back against the Knicks tonight.
Utah (34-21): the Jazz will look for a fifth straight victory Friday with the reception of Orlando.
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