Warriors 112, Jazz 107: 1 Stud, 3 Duds
Jordan Poole scored 26 points to lead an undermanned Golden State Warriors squad to a surprise victory over the Utah Jazz, 112-107.
Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 29 points in a losing cause.
It felt like the Jazz were somewhat in control of the game through three quarters, but the Warriors were able to stay within striking distance and outscored the Jazz 24-13 in the final period to get the win.
Let’s break down the studs and duds as Utah loses its second straight game on the road, despite being the favorite heading into the contest. .
Dud: Fourth Quarter Blues
Utah’s offense apparently went to bed after the third quarter. The Jazz only made four field goals on 25 attempts in the last period.
Give credit to the Warriors' defense for bringing the energy when it mattered. These things happen from time to time, but the Jazz need to find a way to be better on the road.
Utah has now lost eight of its last nine games away from home.
Dud: Will Hardy
Veteran Rudy Gay has gotten a lot of criticism for his performance this year, but at this point, Hardy should be the one shouldering the blame for what’s happening. I can’t think off the top of my head of a player that’s been this bad for this long without any consequences.
In the month of December, Gay is averaging four points per game on 30.4% shooting from the field and a dismal 15.4% from long distance. If that’s not enough, Gay has gone 22 straight contests without scoring double figures despite averaging 15 minutes per game.
Hardy still continues to keep Gay in the rotation, even with younger players on the bench needing minutes to develop. This can’t go on for much longer.
Stud: Lauri Markkanen
The one bright spot in Wednesday’s loss continues to be Markkanen. The sharpshooter from Finland was 7-for-13 from long distance while also grabbing 16 rebounds on his way to a 29-point performance.
It was another game where Markkanen was clearly the best player on the court as he continues to make his case for the All-Star team. The Donavan Mitchell trade is one of the rare occassions where both sides are extremely happy with how the exchange is shaking out.
Dud: Jazz Bench
Utah’s bench was outperformed for the second straight game, being outscored 45-32. On paper, that doesn’t appear worth noting, but this can’t happen when the Warriors had three regular subs inserted into the starting lineup.
Utah’s reserves were being outplayed by players that aren’t accustomed to a lot of time on the court. Collin Sexton was the only player in double figures while collectively, Utah’s reserves only connected on three shots from long distance at a 21% clip.
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