"Pretty Resilient Team" | Utah Hosts Phoenix In Final Home Game Of Regular Season

Throughout the 2021-22 season, the Utah Jazz have had many ups and downs. 

From a dominant February that followed a brutal January, individual highlights and team celebrations, it’s safe to say the season hasn’t played out precisely like many had hoped. 

Although that may be the case, it’s not entirely Utah’s fault. Since the turn of the calendar year, there might not be a team in the league that had been hit with more injuries and health and safety protocols, forcing head coach Quin Snyder to work with interesting lineups. 

In fact, the Jazz have played just a handful of games this entire season with their full rotation — or at least the one they expect to have in the upcoming postseason. Still, that hasn’t stopped the team from plugging along, doing something Snyder has preached all season. 

“We want to be peaking at the right time. … We want to be playing our best basketball towards the end of the year so we can ramp up for the playoffs,” he said. 

Since returning home from one of the most challenging road trips any team has faced this season, the Jazz have righted the ship with victories over Memphis and Oklahoma City. But now comes their toughest test, one that could be a playoff preview of the second round when No. 5 Utah hosts top-seeded Phoenix on Friday night — Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MST.

| It’s true: @MisterCBooz will be at the game tomorrow.

Want to re-live those years or educate younger Jazz fans who don’t know about #5 in Utah? Download #TheNote wherever you get your pods or click here

— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 7, 2022

While a lot of noise has been made recently about the passing, or lack thereof, from Donovan Mitchell to Rudy Gobert and Utah’s inability to close out games — the Jazz put both of those issues to rest in the past two games. 

Utah was able to hold off a fierce comeback from Memphis on Tuesday night, overcoming multiple unlucky breaks to get the victory in overtime. Also, stats would later prove that Mitchell passed to Gobert the same amount percentage-wise as Mike Conley did to Gobert, a combination widely considered one of the best pick-and-roll duos in the game.

Thence night later, and with three starters resting, the Jazz dominated the Thunder in the third and fourth quarters to put the gamer away. While it was expected they do that initially, actually doing so felt good. 

Playoff tickets have arrived

First round tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Playoffs presented by Zions Bank. Act fast, these tickets won’t last long!#TakeNote

— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 7, 2022

What sparked these changes in Utah’s mentality and approach to the game?

Following a team meeting that helped align everyone’s mindsets on Monday and a beautiful pregame message to reporters from Snyder on Tuesday, Utah appears to have found a happy place again. They’re playing with joy, they’re playing with fight and resiliency, and most of all, they’re paying for each other — not that it was anyone’s business otherwise. 

“We got whatever it was off our chest,” Jordan Clarkson said following the team meeting. “We talked about it, it ain’t like ain’t nobody care, but it ain’t none of y’all business. It ain’t nobody else’s business about what happened and what we do. … We’re figuring it out, just like everybody else.”

But now, in the final home game of the year — and second to last regular season game — Utah has a prime opportunity to put the previous 80 games behind them and prove that they’re ready for the postseason and a team that should be taken seriously.

“That’s a pretty resilient team,” Snyder said of the Jazz.

a great week of Jazz basketball and it’s not over yet #InstantRewind | @socios pic.twitter.com/ZRavdxeoPV

— x – Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 8, 2022

STATS
Utah (48-32, 29-11 home / No. 5 Western Conference)
Offense
*113.8 Points Per Game (No. 7 in NBA)
*116.4 Offensive Rating (No. 1 in NBA)

Defense
*107.9 Points Per Game (No. 10 in NBA)
*110.4 Defensive Rating (No. 11 in NBA)

*Donovan Mitchell: 26.0 points / 5.3 assists / 4.2 rebounds / 1.5 steals
*Rudy Gobert: 15.5 points / 14.7 rebounds / 2.1 blocks / 71.3% shooting 
*Bojan Bogdanovic: 18.0 points / 4.3 rebounds / 39.0% 3P-shooting
*Jordan Clarkson: 16.2 points / 3.4 rebonds / 2.5 assists

Phoenix (63-17, 31-9 away / No. 1 Western Conference)
Offense
*115.0 Points Per Game (No. 4 in NBA)
*114.3 Offensive Rating (No. 3 in NBA)

Defense
*107.3 Points Per Game (No. 9 in NBA)
*106.7 Defensive Rating (No. 2 in NBA)

*Denver Booker: 26.7 points / 5.0 rebounds / 4.9 assists / 38.3% 3P-shooting
*Deandre Ayton: 17.2 points / 10.2 rebounds / 63.8% shooting
*Chris Paul: 14.7 points / 10.7 assists / 4.3 rebounds
*Mikal Bridges: 14.3 points / 4.3 rebounds / 37.1% 3P-shooting

MATCHUP TO WATCH
*Battle of the Backcourts
— Arguably two of the top three backcourts in the NBA go head-to-head in what’s expected to be a big matchup. Mitchell and Conley vs. Booker and Paul feature two of the premiere shooting guards partnered with two talented and wily veteran point guards. In a lot of ways, the backcourts mirror each other so it stands to reason, whichever group finds a way to play better, that’s who’ll emerge victorious. 

INJURY REPORT
Utah
OUT — Trent Forrest (left midfoot sprain)
OUT — Udoka Azubuike (right ankle surgery) 

Phoenix
OUT — Dario Saric (right ACL tear)

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Time: 7:30 p.m. MST
Location: Vivint Arena / Salt Lake City, UT
TV: AT&T SportsNet / NBATV
Radio: 1280 The Zone