They’re not all shootouts.
In their third game in four days and playing an early game in Indiana Sunday, the Utah Jazz got their fourth consecutive win, this time in gritty fashion. The Utah Jazz swept their three-stop, east-coast road trip by beating the Pacers 103 to 95. The Jazz have won 15 of their last 16 games.
“These are the types of games that you talk about,” head coach Quin Snyder said after the win. “You don’t have your best shooting night … off the back-to-back, an early start, all those things.”
| gritty team win and our fourth in a row #podiumpostgame | @podiumhq pic.twitter.com/n1JHVNz6EP
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 7, 2021
The Jazz shot just 31 percent from distance—a far cry from the franchise-record shooting night they had in Charlotte less than 48 hours prior. Snyder gave defensive credit to All-NBA big man Rudy Gobert and swingman Royce O’Neale for their defensive effort on Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon, respectively, holding the Pacers’ leading scorers under their season averages.
Sabonis led the Pacers in scoring with 20 points, but did so on 7-19 attempts and fouled out in the fourth quarter.
“Just like anybody else, when guys try to attack me, my goal is to make sure they don’t score,” Gobert said of his defense on Sabonis. “It’s on me to make sure they take the toughest shot possible and if they make it, they make it.”
Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds Sunday, his 17th double-double of the season.
Sunday’s Best
Donovan Mitchell led all players in scoring, going for 27 and tying a career-high in assists with 11 dishes, including some spectacular dimes to the French big man.
Mitchell flirted with a triple double—and would’ve been the first Jazzman to achieve one since Carlos Boozer did it in 2008—but came one rebound shy.
“My mind wasn’t really on that at the end of the day I’m just trying to go out there and find ways to impact the game.”
The Jazz were all over the boards Sunday, winning the rebound battle 61-45, 17 of which came on the offensive glass.
“When you’re dragging a little bit, those are the times it becomes even more important to generate some easy stuff,” Snyder said of the effort to crash the boards after misses.
“There were times we were tired, there were times we had to dig deep but we did it collectively and I think that’s the biggest thing,” Mitchell said.
Notable
The Jazz played their first game this season without veteran point guard Mike Conley who missed the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets with right hamstring tightness.
Jazz sixth man Jordan Clarkson hit a three-pointer for the 50th straight game—a Utah Jazz record.
Make it straight games with a @jordanclarksons made three.#MACU3 | @MountainAmerica pic.twitter.com/fNxjGK0k1c
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 7, 2021
When leaving his postgame interview, Donovan Mitchell hit the media with a “Go Chiefs,” so we know at least one Jazzman’s rooting interest in tonight’s Super Bowl LV.
Up Next
The Jazz head back home and will face the Boston Celtics, who lost Sunday to the Phoenix Suns, Tuesday at Vivint Arena. The Celtics are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 12-10 record and led by Jayson Tatum’s 27.3 points per game.
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