This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Through three quarters, Saturday's 109-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers looked like a lost game for Rodney Hood.
The starting shooting guard scored two points in those 36 minutes. He missed most of the first half, with a strained glute, and there was question as to whether he'd return.
It was all a precursor to one of the best fourth quarters of his career. Hood scored 13 points down the stretch, finding his way into the lane at will, making jumpers and getting to the rim for layups. The Jazz lost, but Hood showed the ability to close a game when his team needed it the most.
And that, despite the loss, is a positive the Jazz can take out of Saturday night.
"I was in pick and roll," Hood said. "They were backing off me and giving me the shot. I hit a couple of those, and we were just able to go from there."
Hood's production in the fourth had to be a welcome sight for Gordon Hayward, who scored a game-high 28 points and had done all he could to carry a Jazz team that started the night without Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert and finished the night without Alec Burks.
So with the Clippers doubling Hayward at any opportunity, there was room for one of his teammates to step up and handle some of the load. Despite his injury, Hood was able to do that. Guarded by J.J. Redick for most of the fourth, Hood was easily able to beat him off the dribble. When Redick allowed him space to shoot the ball, he was able to connect.
It turned a difficult night for Hood into a 6-of-13 shooting night, which is more than passable since he started the game 1 of 5. When Hood first suffered the injury, he returned to the locker room to receive treatment. He then came back into the game, but was clearly not himself, unable to explode off the dribble.
So he again returned to the locker room for more treatment, was told to skip the remainder of the first half and re-evaluate at the break.
"I wanted to be there for my teammates," Hood said. "I just wanted to tough it out and worry about it after the game. I wanted to give my teammates an extra body. Hopefully, it will feel better by tomorrow and in time for the next game."
Hood said after the game he felt significant pain, and spent some time in the cold tub in the moments following, before showering. For the season, he's still struggling with his 3-point shot, but the other parts of his offensive game are starting to come around.
"Gordon had it going earlier," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "They did a good job of trapping him in the fourth quarter, and Rodney had a chance to get to the lane. When he gets there he's capable of rising up and getting a shot."
twitter: @tjonessltrib