The Utah Jazz have pummeled so many teams from the 3-point line this season, they probably were overdue to lose game in such a fashion themselves.
And it almost happened on Friday night.
Almost.
Even though the Raptors exploited Utah’s suspect perimeter defense to convert 21 of 44 tries beyond the arc, Pascal Siakam saw his game-tying try at the horn rim in then out, enabling the Jazz to escape with a 115-112 victory in Tampa, Fla.
Coach Quin Snyder, while allowing that there was always room for improvement, said he was generally pleased with the progress shown by team on that end of the court.
“I think we played good defense. We talked a lot about transition defense over the past couple days,” said Snyder. “Our transition defense and defensive rebounding kept us in the game.”
Indeed, one night after allowing the Washington Wizards to rack up 24 fast-break points, Toronto managed 13. Meanwhile, Utah enjoyed a 47-31 advantage on the glass against the Raptors.
Still, it’s clear the Jazz are still not back to the form that enabled them to rack up 20 wins in a 21-game stretch earlier in the season.
Their shooting was off for most of the night before heating up a bit late, though they never really did catch fire from 3 themselves (they finished 12 of 37 beyond the arc — 32.4%).
They made up for it on this occasion by living — and flourishing — at the free-throw line.
Utah wound up going 35 of 41 at the stripe. Donovan Mitchell got more points at the line (15-16) than the Raptors did as a team (11-14).
And in spite of accusations of being prone to bouts of hero ball, he certainly came through in the clutch vs. Toronto, notching eight straight points in the final minutes before Mike Conley finished up the scoring with — what else? — a pair of free throws.
Asked how he was able to attack Toronto so successfully late, he quipped: “Hero ball,” before getting serious, saying he was trying to strike a balance between involving teammates and remaining aggressive.
“Finding guys and also seeing where I can fit in and do my thing,” he said. “I forced a shot early in the game, but in the second half I was pleased with all the decisions I made.”
His coach echoed those thoughts, praising his guard’s decision-making.
“Toronto’s one of the best defenses in the league, particularly on the ball, and I thought Donovan showed a lot of resolve,” he said. “There was a toughness that he had. Not only was he aggressive and forceful, he was also precise, and made really good reads.”
Beyond Mitchell’s 31 points, he also contributed six assists and five rebounds, while committing only three turnovers.
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from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/3tCn8qp
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