This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
The Utah Jazz are a tired team, having played six games in nine nights.
The Jazz also aren't playing well, with Saturday's 102-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies their third defeat in four games.
The night wasn't all bad, however. At least for the Jazz, Rodney Hood regained a bit of rhythm, found his jump shot, and turned in a game to build upon.
Hood — Utah's starting shooting guard — scored a team-high 20 points, while shooting 7 for 12 from the field. He made four 3-pointers and seemed a lot more comfortable than he did on Thursday night in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Thursday was his first game after missing almost two weeks with a bone contusion in his knee.
"I knew it would take a bit of time to get back and get adjusted after being injured," Hood said. "But it's good to see some shots go down. I was a little more aggressive this game."
Saturday night was a different game for Hood than usual. Typically, he feels his way into a game, takes his time surveying a defense and picks his spots. He's usually more aggressive offensively in the second half and in fourth quarters.
While he was indeed aggressive in Saturday's fourth, the Jazz coaching staff made sure to engage him into the offense early. They ran the first few offensive sets of the game for him, bringing him off screens, making sure above all else that he spent time with the ball in his hands.
That resulted with a Hood that felt more comfortable in the second half. He made a buzzer-beating three at the end of the third quarter, drawing the Jazz within 80-74. He continued to make shots in the fourth quarter. It didn't lead to a win, but at least Utah gave itself a chance in the waning minutes, and Hood was a big part of that.
"For sure, it was good to see him play well tonight," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "He's a guy that's a huge weapon for us. And when he's knocking down shots, he adds another dimension for us. So it's great to see him get going."
Hood's offense on Saturday night was welcomed, since he didn't play as well against the Lakers on Thursday. He said after the game that he's still working his way back to 100 percent, after injuring the knee originally in a scary fall against the Orlando Magic.
But if Hood can find more consistency in his shot, he has the ability to take much-needed perimeter pressure off Hayward, along with Alec Burks.
Twitter: @tribjazz