Jazz Fall to Warriors, 129-118: 2 Winners, 3 Losers
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Steph Curry scored 33 points on 13-23 shooting as the Golden State Warriors pummeled the Utah Jazz, 129-118, Friday night. The Jazz ended up losing their third in a row in a game where Utah offered little resistance on the defensive end as the Warriors shot 51.5% from the field and 44.3% from long distance.
Despite the loss, some Jazz players played well, while other performances were forgettable. Let’s break down the big winners and losers of Utah’s 9th loss of the season.
Loser: Utah's First Quarter
The Jazz shot a dismal 24.4% from long distance, which included making only one out of their first 15 three-point attempts. The slow start contributed to a 14-point lead the Warriors obtained after a quarter of play.
Getting behind the eight ball is starting to be a trend, as Utah has been outscored in the first quarter four games in a row for a combined total of 32 points.
Winner: Kelly Olynyk
One bright spot in Utah’s defeat was the play of Utah's starting center. The 6-foot-10 journeyman scored 23 points on an efficient 9-for-13 shooting, but just as important, he was able to stay out of foul trouble.
Olynyk leads the league in fouls averaging 4.14 per game but seems to be trending in the right direction by only committing five in his last two contests.
Loser: Jazz Defense in Paint
At times, this contest resembled a layup drill more than it did a basketball game. Utah gave up a jaw-dropping 60 points in the paint on Friday night.
To put that in perspective, the Oklahoma City Thunder are last in the league in this category averaging 57.1. Utah is going to struggle to win games if it gives up this type of resistance on the defensive end.
Head coach Will Hardy will have to figure out a way to stop this trend, or it could be a long year for Jazz fans.
Winner: Jazz Scoring in Spurts
If there’s one positive that Jazz fans can point to in the current three-game skid, it's that Utah is never out of a game. Although the Jazz were down seventeen points in the first quarter, they were still able to fight back and take a lead in the third quarter.
The same held true when the Jazz were down seventeen against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz can score in bunches, and with their ability to hit the three-point shot, they’re never out of a game.
Loser: Utah Schedule
The Jazz play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night in the second game of a back-to-back and their fourth game in six days. The schedulers weren’t kind to the Jazz in the first quarter of the season, and the fact that Utah is 12-9 through this stretch is a big plus.
In fact, after Saturday night's game, Utah will lead the league in road games played at 14. It gets easier after the Phoenix game, with the Jazz playing six in a row at home, starting with the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
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