This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
On Wednesday, Rodney Hood finally felt well enough to get into the gym, get some shots up and work on his craft.
On Thursday night, Utah's starting shooting guard hit the Philadelphia 76ers for 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field in a 100-83 win at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
There's a correlation here. Despite returning from the flu last week against the Toronto Raptors, Hood wasn't 100 percent, and it showed in his play. He was essentially on the floor in name only against the Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. It wasn't until Thursday where the Jazz and their fans saw the real Rodney Hood.
"I just tried to let the game come to me," Hood said. "My teammates found me for a couple of open shots in the first half. And I was able to find some open looks in the second half. Everything kind of flowed from there."
More than the 3-point shooting, Hood was able get to the rim off the dribble. He was able to negotiate pick and rolls and make jumpers. He was able to get to the free-throw line and do damage there as well.
He was important to Utah's fourth-quarter blitz, scoring the first five points, sparking the Jazz to a 21-2 run that put the game away. And with his jumper true, and the other parts of his game rounding into form, Hood was able to take pressure off Gordon Hayward and George Hill.
"Sometimes when you get banged up, and you get sick, it takes more than one or two games to get right," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Rodney lost 10 pounds, and it's taken some time to get his strength back. But mentally, he's got to work through that. Tonight, I thought he was tougher without the ball. I thought he was working harder to get shots. Some of it is him not being fatigued. Obviously, when he plays like this, he's a weapon on the floor for us."
Hood's impact went beyond scoring. He was plus-25, the number the Jazz outscored the 76ers by when he was on the floor. Even when he didn't have the ball, he drew attention from Philadelphia's defense. That led to open lanes for teammates, more rebounding opportunities and better offense.
The Jazz were balanced on the perimeter, with Hood, George Hill and Hayward each scoring 20 points or more. That also wasn't a coincidence, with Hill being back from a sprained toe for the first time in 13 games.
"I hit a shot before halftime, and I realized that I was in a rhythm," Hood said. "Being sick wasn't able to work on my game. I was just out there playing, and I think it was big for me to get some gym time."
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Hood in action
• Rodney Hood makes a 3-pointer on Thursday night for the first time since his game-winning three against the Dallas Mavericks.
• Hood goes 7 of 11 from the field in 32 minutes.