Since the All-Star break, the Utah Jazz have posted a 5-2 record. The Jazz also secured their first three game winning streak for the franchise this season and had a chance to extend the streak considerably before losing to Boston. Utah will have a chance to start another three game win streak as they continue their road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets before returning home to face the abysmal New York Knicks.
Gordon Hayward fighting for a rebound against Memphis.
The quality of the defeated opponents makes Utah’s 5-2 record more impressive than it seems. The Jazz defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Memphis Grizzlies, each with a winning record and currently set to make the playoffs. Utah’s 22-point victory against the Denver Nuggets is also impressive despite Denver’s poor record. One of Utah’s losses came against a Lakers team led by Jordan Clarkson in a game the Jazz largely controlled until the final minutes. The other loss came against the Boston Celtics one night after the Jazz defeated Memphis. Utah led with 1.7 seconds left in the game before Celtics center Tyler Zeller scored the game winning lay up. Nonetheless, the Jazz have played their best basketball yet this season and have built some good momentum as the season comes to a close.
It is hard to ignore the correlation between Utah’s recent success and the insertion of Rudy Gobert into the starting rotation. The 7’1” center out of France recorded four double-doubles in four of the last five games and grabbed a career high of 24 rebounds against Memphis. Even with Zach Randolph missing the game due to illness, snatching 24 boards is no small accomplishment. Gobert’s presence around the rim and shot blocking ability largely contributed to Utah’s top ranking defense during the month of February.
Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors also deserve their due credit for Utah’s string of wins. Both players have done their role individually in terms of scoring, rebounding, and assisting. Trey Burke has provided a boost in bench scoring receiving help in that area from Elijah Millsap and rookie Rodney Hood. The squad’s overall increase in energy and effort on the court has been noticeable since the all-star break and undoubtedly played a role in the team’s victories.
Can the Utah Jazz continue this streak and make a push for the eighth seed in the playoffs? Utah currently stands at 11 in the western conference, which is 8 games behind the eighth place Oklahoma City Thunder. A little over 20 games remain in the season and even if the Jazz win a majority of the contests, they would need a lot of help to move up in the standings. Even though a playoff push is unlikely, Jazz nation would like to see more victories like these in their future.
This article Utah Jazz playing much better since All-Star break appeared first on isportsweb by Steven Herrera