This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Derrick Favors didn't let down his guard until after Utah's 117-107 overtime conquest of the Orlando Magic was complete.
When he did, it wasn't to an Orlando defender, his coach Tyrone Corbin, or any of his family waiting for him after Utah moved one step closer to the postseason.
It was to Al Jefferson, as the two passed in the Jazz locker room.
"He told me how tired he was after having to chase all of those guards on Orlando's team," Jefferson said.
For Favors, the fatigue was well earned. The second-year power forward was integral in Utah's rally and win over the Magic. The 16 points, the 11 rebounds, the highlight-worthy dunks and the blocked shots were all well noted.
But it was his defense of Orlando's pick-and-roll, his ability to hedge against the speedy guards the Magic were able to put on the floor, that went a long way towards allowing the Jazz to win a game they had to have.
When Favors wasn't on the floor, Orlando's Jameer Nelson had his way with Utah's defense, consistently getting into the lane off the dribble, scoring himself or kicking the ball out to Jason Richardson or Ryan Anderson for easy 3-pointers.
Things changed when Favors was in the game. For those 30 minutes, Favors forced Nelson to go sideways, instead of towards the basket. The looks beyond the arc became contested. The shots, in overtime, eventually started to hit the front of the rim, instead of going straight through the basket.
"It's something I learned early on, and something I've been doing for a while," Favors said. "My college coach [Paul Hewitt at Georgia Tech] taught me how to hedge and defend screens. I knew that my team needed me to come and play big minutes. I was prepared to play a big role tonight."
With Favors being a game-changer defensively, the Jazz were able to employ their big lineup, featuring Paul Millsap, at small forward. And when that happened, Orlando had no answer, especially on defense.
"When Derrick is on the floor, I think we have the best three big men in the league on the floor at the same time," Jefferson said. "It's been a pleasure watching him develop."
Twitter: @tonyaggieville