“It Means I’m Fitting In” | Nickeil Alexander-Walker Thrives In Fourth Quarter Of Massive Victory | Utah Jazz

Following Monday’s loss to the defending champs, Utah head coach Quin Snyder stayed adamant that at some point, the Jazz were going to come out on top in some of the closer games of the season.

“These are the types of games, hopefully, we are going to continue to be in and ideally finish on the other side,” Snyder said.

All it took was one game for Snyder to predict the future. 

After nearly squandering a double-digit lead in the second half, Utah responded with a dominating showing over the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter to take down Chicago 125-110 in a game with massive playoff implications. 

| “It means I’m fitting in, and that’s a good feeling to be a part of a winning team and a winning organization.”#TakeNote

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

Here are five things to know following the win:

1.) It’s Not Good To Make Donovan Mitchell Mad
Normally remarkably even-keeled, Mitchell found himself out of his norm early in the third quarter on Wednesday night. After feeling as if he was fouled on consecutive possessions, plays that led to buckets for Chicago, Mitchell thought it best to voice his frustration with the officials. 

“I feel like I’d had some (no-calls) last game and the game before that where I wasn’t getting those calls,” Mitchell said. “I just had to sound off because it was getting ridiculous.”

While he was warned to stop talking, Mitchell was all about “getting his money’s worth” and was promptly — and arguably deservingly — assessed a technical foul. 

Uh-oh, Chicago. 

It ended up being a special night for Mitchell as his third quarter was the stuff of legends. He set career-highs in points (25) and three-pointers made (7) in the frame but did so in the final 8:11 of the quarter. His 9-for 15 shooting from beyond the arc overall tied his career-high in made threes, while the seven he made in the third was a Utah franchise record for made three-pointers in a quarter.

What a night for @spidadmitchell:

Second-most points in a game this season (37)
Tied a career-high for threes in a game (9)
Set a new franchise high for threes in a quarter (7)
Set a new franchise high for points in the 3rd (25)#PerformanceLeader | @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/Js6h6eDbmk

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

Altogether, Mitchell finished with 37 points on 12-for-22 shooting with five assists and three rebounds. While he dominated the game with his scoring in the third, he helped the Jazz extend the lead in the fourth with his play-making as Chicago constantly double-teamed the all-star guard. But rather than forcing the issue, he made the right play, and Utah’s offense flourished with 36 points in the final 12 minutes.

On Monday night, Mitchell vowed to be better in the fourth quarter moving forward — but it wasn’t needed because he was so dominant in the third.

“I didn’t know it was 25, it didn’t feel like 25. … It felt like I could have kept going,” Mitchell said.

| That third quarter was something else #TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/JkwWnj7wen

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

2.) Welcome to Utah, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Following Mitchell’s dominant third quarter, it came as no surprise that Chicago, to get back into the game, began to double-team the all-star guard and force other members of the Jazz to step up.

Interestingly enough, Utah’s newest member helped lead the Jazz to the huge victory they desperately needed. After seeing little action since he was acquired at the trade deadline a month ago, Alexander-Walker rose to the occasion with a breakout game after getting into the rotation following injuries to Bojan Bogdanovic, Trent Forrest, and Danuel House Jr.

And he made the most of it.

Alexander-Walker was the biggest beneficiary of the Bulls throwing double-teams at Mitchell, finishing with 14 points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. He totaled 16 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, finishing with a +15 rating.

But more than his offense, Alexander-Walker’s effort on defense drew the most praise from head coach Quin Snyder postgame. He pulled the assignment of defending Chicago’s stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, making life exceedingly difficult for the duo.

“He was focused on defending, and he was playing well even before he knocked down some shots,” Snyder said.

“It means I’m fitting in, and that’s a good feeling to be a part of a winning team and a winning organization,” Alexander-Walker added. “Continuously working every day, back-to-back no matter what, just staying ready and trying to get better each day. … Just the work, and trusting that God would give me an opportunity.”

This pass to @NickeilAW #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/rFYK1bkilp

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

3.) Never Forget About Rudy Gobert And Jordan Clarkson
While many will remember Mitchell’s thrilling third quarter and Alexander-Walker’s breakout performance, Gobert and Clarkson’s performances cannot be lost in the shuffle as they were just as instrumental in the victory. 

Gobert finished with a monster double-double of 14 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks, completely changing the game with his dominance in the paint on both ends of the court. He continues to be Utah’s steadiest presence on the court and is playing at such an elite level that it would be shocking if he doesn’t win his third consecutive defensive player of the year award.

As for Clarkson, the Flamethrower was at it again. 

Just two games after dropping a career-high 45 points where he set the franchise record for most three-pointers in a game, Clarkson did most of his damage in the paint against the Bulls. He totaled 26 points and five rebounds off the bench, finishing with a team-high +17 rating in season-high 35 minutes.

Going up against one of the elite defenders in Chicago’s Alex Caruso, Clarkson proved to be far superior. Digging deep into his bag of tricks, he navigated the constant pressure with flick shots and stepback jumpers that show why he’s one of the elite scorers in the league. 

how do you say “give this man another trophy” in French? pic.twitter.com/382tKYi2EP

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

4.) Jazz Overcome Fourth Quarter Drama 
As with many games this season, Utah entered the final 12 minutes of regulation with a sizable lead. But in what’s become the norm, the Jazz saw their double-digit lead vanquish early on, leading to what would be a thrilling finish. 

Fortunately for Utah fans everywhere, the Jazz appear to be turning the tide after a dominating performance in the fourth quarter. 

After Utah stretched its lead to 13 early in the fourth, the Bulls rallied with a 15-6 run as Zach LaVine caught fire with 11 quick points to cut the Jazz deficit to four with 6:52 to play. 

Looking as if this was going to be another performance in which they blew a late lead, Mitchell immediately righted the ship, igniting a 14-0 run as Alexander-Walker had eight points during that span to put the game out of reach.

While it may not seem like a big deal with Utah winning a game they led by 13 early in the quarter, how the Jazz closed out the Bulls was most impressive. 

Mitchell elevated this game, and his teammates rose with him in return. There was no hero ball, no bad shots taken, just Utah displaying the league’s highest-rated offense with a defense that hustled and fought on every possession.

If this is to become the new norm, there’s no reason to believe Utah won’t be a serious threat come April, May, and June. 

Don broke Karl Malone’s record for points in a 3rd quarter

“We got a win against a really good team. We all showed up to play.”#WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/wUSFYnHF4e

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

5.) Western Conference Playoff Push
With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the push for the playoffs is about to ramp up as Utah is locked in a ferocious battle with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks for the No. 4 seed — and homecourt advantage — in the playoffs. 

The Jazz appeared to catch a big break on Wednesday when Kevin Durant’s three-pointer put Brooklyn up by one with 10 seconds remaining. But Doncic remained unfazed, passing out of a double-team to Spencer Dinwiddie, who calmly sunk a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give the Mavericks the two-point victory. 

A loss would’ve put Utah up a game over Dallas, but alas, this battle is just getting started. Both teams have difficult schedules from here on out — but the most prominent game will come on March 27 when the Jazz travel to Dallas in a showdown of epic proportions. 

Phoenix has a clear hold on the top-seed while Memphis has a one-game lead over Golden State in the battle for No. 2. Denver is still lurking behind the Jazz and Mavericks, but passing either team will prove problematic as they both hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets.

STANDINGS
1.) Phoenix (56-14)
2.) Memphis (48-22) — 8
3.) Golden State (47-23) — 9
4.) Utah (43-26) — 12.5
5.) Dallas (43-26) — 12.5
6.) Denver (42-28) — 14
7.) Minnesota (41-30) — 15.5
8.) LA Clippers (36-36) — 21
9.) Los Angeles Lakers (29-40) — 26.5
10.) New Orleans Pelicans (28-41) — 27.5