"I've Got To Give A Shout-Out To Dok" | Azubuike Running With Opportunity

When speaking with media before tipoff against New York, Bojan Bogdanovic said that having head coach Quin Snyder back at practice gave the team different “energy.” He said that Snyder had more energy than usual, laughed and joked with the guys, and brought a good overall vibe.

It turns out that all of that extra energy was needed on Monday night.

Back on the sideline for the first time in a week, Snyder and the Jazz overcame a 24-2 New York run in the third quarter to rally back in the fourth and win 113-104. It was Utah’s third-straight victory. 

“Guys made extra effort plays,” Mike Conley said postgame. “We got killed on the offensive glass all night. Then at the end of the game, we made some big-time box outs, big-time rebounds, and you could feel the energy from those small but big plays.”

goodnight, jazz twitter

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

Here are five things to know following the win:

1.) Three Plays Make The Difference
Donovan Mitchell was his typical sensational self on Monday night. Back for the second time after missing eight games with severe concussion symptoms, he finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, shooting 13-for-26 from the field.

While the numbers are great, those aren’t the plays that made the difference. Mitchell was phenomenal in the game’s closing minutes, making three clutch plays that helped decide the outcome. 

“There were three plays that Donovan made that, to me, were more significant than anything,” Snyder said. “The offensive rebound that he got where he gave the ball back to Dok when he scored, there was a free throw play he sniffed out a handoff, and he blew up the handoff up top and stole the ball, and then there was a defensive rebound.”

While the defensive rebound following the free throw was vital, the other two plays will be shared on his highlight reel for years.

Clinging to a one-point lead with just over four minutes to go, Mitchell seized the momentum for the Jazz and sent Vivint Arena into a frenzy when he soared for an offensive rebound. After landing with the ball and before he fell out of bounds, he passed the ball to Udoka Azubuike for the two-handed dunk and three-point lead. 

The final play was exceptional, leaving Mitchell smiling and the Jazz hyped on the bench. With just under a minute left and up nine, Mitchell put the nail in the coffin when he stole the pass and went downcourt, gathering himself before throwing down an impressive windmill dunk.

“Just finding the ways I can impact the game outside of scoring,” Mitchell said of his late-game performance.

| 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 3-pointers & a block in a game he passed Deron Williams on the Utah Jazz franchise scoring list #TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/ZuG36Wsqof

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

2.) Udoka Azubuike Was A Beast
It’s just midway through his second season in the NBA, and it’s already been a rough go of things for Azubuike. Dealing with numerous ankle injuries, some severe, the big man from Kansas has struggled to adjust to the league.

But with Rudy Gobert still out with a left calf strain and Hassan Whiteside still working himself back into full playing shape, Azubuike has been given the opportunity to show what he can do — and he’s run with it. 

Three nights after securing his first career double-double, he set new career-highs in rebounds and blocks when he finished with seven points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, and a +10 rating. 

Going against one of the league’s largest and most physical teams, Azubuike was a physical presence down low.

“Dok’s competitiveness, that was the differentiating factor,” Snyder said.

“I’ve got to give a shout-out to Dok,” Mitchell added. “He is taking this opportunity and running with it. … He is fighting and trying to do every little thing to win.”

DK pic.twitter.com/YsoBZYHQLq

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

3.) Jordan Clarkson On A Hot Streak
With the Jazz dealing with some injury issues as of late, it’s meant that Clarkson has had to take on a different role for the team.

Typically the primary scorer off the bench, Clarkson had recently been thrust into the starting lineup and responded with impressive performances. But with the return of Mitchell, that meant that Clarkson would return to his sixth-man role — and some wondered how he would readjust back to that role. 

It’s safe to say that when Clarkson enters the game, he’s going to do what he does and thrive offensively — and Monday was another example. 

He led a massive effort off the bench with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, and a +18 rating in 22 minutes. Over his past five games, Clarkson has been averaging 18.8 points per game, numbers similar to last season when he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. 

@jordanclarksons #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/RF41PEUHZK

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

4.) Bench Provides Energy, Saves The Game
As mentioned above, Utah was cruising along, turning a two-point halftime lead into a 10-point advantage early in the third quarter.

But that’s when New York not only caught fire, but the Jazz became ice cold from the field. What resulted was a 24-2 Knicks run and Utah trailing by 12 with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter. 

Needing an influx of energy, Snyder inserted Clarkson, Eric Paschall, and Trent Forrest to turn the tide — and that’s what happened. All three combined for a quick eight points as the Jazz ended the quarter on a 12-2 run to get back into the game.

It was the sort of performance from Utah’s bench that makes this team so dangerous. With Clarkson providing the scoring, Forrest the defense, and Paschall the energy and hustle, Utah’s bench is a unit that has the potential to keep a lead and fight back. 

Paschall finished with a game-high +21 rating in just 17 minutes, while Forrest had four points, five rebounds, and two steals. 

“When our bench came in, that was the difference,” Snyder said. “The biggest thing that we just kept talking about in timeouts was getting rebounds. … There wasn’t a whole lot of adjustments to be made.”

“That’s the thing about this team, we have trust.”#WalkoffInterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/IScCAPZ1Vz

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 8, 2022

5.) Huge Challenge Up Next
After suffering through a rough month of January, the Jazz have tuned their performances around at the same time the calendar also flipped its page.

Utah is on a three-game winning streak following Monday’s win and only getting better. Mitchell returned two games ago, Snyder and Clarkson returned against the Knicks, and the Jazz aren’t done getting healthy. 

There’s widespread optimism that Rudy Gobert and Rudy Gay could return sometime this week, potentially ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with streaking Golden State. The Warriors have won nine in a row as Klay Thompson and Steph Curry are healthy and looking like a formidable backcourt. 

If the Jazz can get past Golden State, they’ll end the homestand against Orlando and Houston, two teams that sit at the bottom of the standings in their respective conferences.