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Kragthorpe: Jazz’s loss to New Orleans clouds any view of playoffs

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) sneaks past a green set by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the the Utah Jazz versus the New Orleans Pelicans NBA basketball game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Wednesday January 3, 2018.

(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) sneaks past a green set by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the the Utah Jazz versus the New Orleans Pelicans NBA basketball game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Wednesday January 3, 2018.

Just like that, whatever momentum the Jazz had generated was gone. And after a 108-98 loss at Vivint Smart Home Arena, a return to the NBA playoffs in 2018 looks much less likely.

That’s the impact of a defeat that dropped the Jazz 3½ games behind the Pelicans for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. As of Saturday, when the Jazz impressively beat Cleveland and New Orleans lost at home to New York, the playoff possibilities were coming into view.

The outlook changed Wednesday, when the Jazz didn’t respond well to a big game in front of a sellout crowd. Jazz coach Quin Snyder rarely acknowledges being aware of the standings, but he did before this game. The players, too, knew what winning would have meant.

The failure to gain any traction Wednesday summarized where the Jazz (16-22) are as they approach the halfway mark of the season. With a win over the Pelicans, and the expected return of Rudy Gobert around the middle of the month, the Jazz could have inspired some hope for a playoff run.

Instead, they likely will fade even further during an upcoming trip. Before long, the focus may become how the Jazz manage the Feb. 8 trade deadline, as opposed to any fascination with the playoff race.

The irony is that another disappointing home performance for the Jazz came during a breakout game for Joe Johnson, a 20-point effort that evoked memories of his playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers last April.

In Wednesday’s case, the Jazz’s lapses came at both ends of the court. This snapshot captured everything: With the Jazz leading by six points late in the first quarter, Donovan Mitchell missed a long 3-point attempt in transition. New Orleans’ Jrue Holiday drilled a 3 at the other end.

That’s pretty much how this game went. The Pelicans went 14 of 30 from 3-point range; the Jazz were 7 of 32. The problem was not the Jazz’s volume of attempts, but how they were generated. Too many came in transition, which is not the Jazz’s game. They’re far better off when those shots come from after multiple passes and drives in half-court sets.

Mitchell went 3 of 11 on 3-pointers, tarnishing his 24-point game. Rodney Hood was worse, going 0 for 6 from long range. Hood’s only basket came via a nice drive. Other than that layup, he was 0 for 9 overall.

At the other end, too many of New Orleans’ shots were uncontested, the result of the Jazz’s poor close-outs defensively. Afterward, Snyder repeatedly used some form of the word “aggressive,” all in the context of a trait his team lacked.

This was the wrong time for that element to be missing.