This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
On Monday night, the Utah Jazz shot 40 percent from the field against the New Orleans Pelicans. They missed 17 of their 27 3-point attempts, turned the ball over 19 times and scored 32 combined second- and third-quarter points after scoring 29 in the first 12 minutes.
Clearly, an 88-83 win over the Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena wasn't driven by offense.
What the Jazz did do was defend well for 48 minutes. They swarmed New Orleans on the perimeter. Rudy Gobert locked down the paint, and Utah was able to notch its 40th win of the season as a result.
"That was our focus coming in," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "We didn't feel like we were where we needed to be last night defensively (in a win over the Sacramento Kings). I thought our focus was there tonight, and we had some good results."
Utah struggled offensively. Some of that can be traced to the Jazz playing without starting point guard George Hill, who sat out Monday night because of soreness in his toe and to get some rest. Some of it was fatigue, as the Jazz played on consecutive nights.
But before the game, Snyder told his players they weren't allowed to be tired, even with Sunday's win over the Kings going into overtime. So even if the Jazz didn't light up the scoreboard against New Orleans, they played hard. They played with energy, and that energy keyed them defensively, until they could make some shots.
A fast offensive start in the first quarter didn't hurt, either. The Jazz were able to build a 34-16 lead, and that cushion allowed them to keep the Pelicans at arms' length.
"I think that's one reason we won the game," Utah forward Gordon Hayward said. "We came out the way we did and gave ourselves a little bit of a lead. You could tell they were going to make a run and they did, but I think that cushion helped us a lot tonight. Guys were tired mentally and physically, so this was a great win for us."
Almost as noteworthy as the win was Utah's ability to contain Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the Pelicans' All-Star big men. Cousins, whom New Orleans acquired in a trade recently, scored 15 points and was held to 5-of-15 shooting. Davis scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. But he shot 7 of 17 and wasn't impactful.
"We got off to a terrible start tonight," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "That being said I thought we came back and played great. We just couldn't finish near the basket. I think we ended up being 5 of 18 at the rim. I thought we gave ourselves an opportunity after that horrendous start."
Hayward led the Jazz with 23 points and seven rebounds, shooting 10 of 20. Rudy Gobert scored 15 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked two shots. Joe Ingles scored 12 points and Alec Burks scored 10.
More importantly, the Jazz made big shots at big junctures. Utah scored 27 points in the fourth quarter, and that offensive production when it mattered led to the third consecutive victory for the Jazz.
Utah led wire-to-wire, its fourth such win of the season. Burks grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
"We just wanted to win," Gobert said. "We realize that we have to bring it every night. Tonight, we came out with an attitude right from the beginning and we played great defense."
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Storylines
R Rudy Gobert has blocked at least two shots in 33 straight games.
• The Jazz are 30-9 on the season when Gordon Hayward scores at least 20.
• The Jazz win their third consecutive game.