“We Got A Win As A Group” | Utah Starts Six-Game Road Swing With Big Victory | Utah Jazz

For much of the season — except for a rough stretch in January — Utah’s offense has always been elite. They’ve held the league’s highest rating for most of the season and have never really been challenged. 

But the Jazz know that if they’re going to make it past the second round of the playoffs, the defense will have to be what gets it done. 

If any Sunday night’s performance against New York indicated what’s to come, the Jazz are rounding into postseason form very nicely.

After surrendering 31 points in the first quarter, Utah’s defense was sensational the rest of the way as the Jazz began their six-game road trip with a 108-93 win over the Knicks.

“You just don’t know how you are going to score, but for our team to be at our best, we have to be that selfless offensively, everybody,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “When that’s happening, we’re playing defense, regardless of how we are scoring. … That to me is as significant as anything that has happened to our team in a while.” 

goodnight, jazz twitter

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 21, 2022

Here are five things to know following the win:

1.) Donovan Mitchell Enjoys Going Home
No matter how long he plays in the NBA, Mitchell will be asked about coming home and restoring the New York Knicks to the glory days. While Mitchell knows the questions are coming and his answer always remain the same, he still admits that there is something special about playing in Madison Square Garden.

That proved to be the same on Sunday night.

He finished with 36 points (career-high in Madison Square Garden) and eight rebounds on 11-of-21 shooting, including a 7-for-12 showing from three-point territory. His final three-pointer was significant as it set the new Jazz single-season record for made three-pointers in a season with 209… and counting. 

With point guard Mike Conley out (right knee injury maintenance), a lot of the playmaking and ball-handling fell on Mitchell’s shoulders, and he responded. He finished with six assists, constantly making the right play that allowed the Jazz to stay within the rhythm of the offense and thrive. 

“It’s a lot of fun. … I got a lot of friends and family here who get to watch me, who know me more of a baseball player than a basketball one,” Mitchell said postgame. “The biggest thing is that we got a win as a group. … We know it’s big to come out east and start right. We stayed locked in for the full 48.”

| A career-best 36 points at MSG + reaching the 8,000-point mark: A good night for Don #TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/xyrzh9QwE8

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 21, 2022

2.) Don’t Look Now, Jordan Clarkson Is Back
After winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award last season, Clarkson entered this year with expectations sky-high. 

But he struggled out of the gate, unable to find a rhythm as the ball absolutely refused to go through the hoop. But while his shooing was off, he made massive strides both defensively and as a playmaker, allowing him to still be a contributing force when on the court. 

It now appears that Clarkson’s shot is back — and when combined with his improving game in other facets — he’s emerging as a sensational player down the stretch for the Jazz.

Sunday night was a perfect example of how far his game came and how he continues to make the right plays within Utah’s system. He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a +16 rating. 

But what was most impressive was Clarkson’s ability to get into the paint, constantly putting pressure on New York’s top-10 defense. Able to get any shot he wanted, Clarkson was under control the entire time and thrived in the role as a playmaker as much as he did as a scorer. 

“I think I take the ones that are available,” Clarkson said of his offensive evolution. “Our bigs are keeping me free and playing two-on-one with me. I’m just taking what the defense gives me. … They’ve been throwing a lot of stuff at me all season, just trying to adjust every game.”

3.) Rudy Gay Finding A Rhythm
In his 16th season in the league, there isn’t much that Rudy Gay hasn’t seen or been a part of. Yet one of Utah’s biggest free agent singings this offseason admits that the 2021-22 NBA season has been unlike any other. 

From playing through a myriad of injuries, dealing with health and safety protocols, and trying to learn a new — and extremely complicated — offensive system, it comes as no surprise that there have been some struggles for Gay. 

But now, finally healthy and back in the rotation fully, Gay’s addition to the Jazz is paying off in the manner both sides hoped it would — and Sunday night was further proof. 

Gay finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 26 minutes, the most action he’s seen since a game against Phoenix in late January. He was extremely efficient, shooting 4-of-7 from the field (3-for-6 from deep), while his length and defensive presence really showed against the bigger Knicks. He finished with a +23 rating, the best in the game. 

In the past few weeks, Snyder has said that Gay has continued to look good and improve, hence why they’ve been slowly ratcheting up his minutes. But now fully healthy, Gay looks to be a difference-maker down the stretch as the Jazz make a push for the postseason.

this is a @rudygay appreciation post pic.twitter.com/W0oc4smgcm

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 21, 2022

4.) Defense Earns The Victory
The Jazz are well aware that there isn’t a team in the NBA that can keep up with them when executing on offense.

But they also know that if they want to achieve their goal of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the season, Utah understands that it’s going to come by doing so on the defensive end. 

Sunday night was a great example of understanding that and then going out onto the court and doing so. 

The Jazz gave up 31 first quarter points as the Knicks were able to have too many open three-pointers, shooting 7-for-11 in the opening 12 minutes. But then something changed as Utah locked in the rest of the way, giving up 62 points over the final three quarters.

Utah was particularly effective in the second half, holding New York to 40 points on 29.5% (13-for-44) from the field and 27.3% (6-for-22) from three-point territory. 

“Tonight was Rudy [Gobert] and Hassan [Whiteside],” Snyder said. “Our two bigs tonight, what they did is really unique because Hassan didn’t have a shot the whole game and Rudy had one at halftime. So at halftime, those two guys collectively had one shot, and in the halfcourt they are dominating the game defensively.”

NBERT pic.twitter.com/Qa3nxXkmdU

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 20, 2022

5.) Western Conference Playoff Push
Things are starting to get interesting for the Jazz coming down the season’s final stretch.

As of now, Utah can finish anywhere from the No. 2 seed to the No. 7 seed, but realistically the Jazz are looking anywhere from the No. 3 seed to the No. 5 seed. With the win on Sunday, the Jazz have a two-game lead over Dallas for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoffs — and are just two games back of the struggling Golden State Warriors for the No. 3 seed.

Utah has a difficult stretch upcoming, facing Brooklyn, Boston, Charlotte, and a massive showdown with the Mavericks over the next six days. But Dallas also plays a streaking Minnesota team twice in the next five days, while Golden State will be without Steph Curry for the next two weeks.

In the end, the Jazz don’t care where they finish. Ideally, they’d like to be home in the first round, but they’re a team that’s not afraid to go on the road.

STANDINGS
1.) Phoenix (58-14)
2.) Memphis (49-23) — 9
3.) Golden State (47-24) — 10.5
4.) Utah (45-26) — 12.5
5.) Dallas (43-28) — 14.5
6.) Minnesota (42-30) — 16
7.) Denver (42-30) — 16
8.) LA Clippers (36-37) — 22.5
9.) New Orleans Pelicans (30-41) — 27.5
10.) Los Angeles Lakers (30-41) — 27.5

Donovan chats with @sportsiren after his big night in the big apple #WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/ch3dxkGUDy

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 21, 2022