On a night when neither the Jazz nor their opponent could buy a bucket, Philadelphia point guard Michael Carter-Williams was the epicenter of bad shooting.
The league's reigning rookie of the year went 2-for-20 against the Jazz on Saturday night.
"I knew I wasn't having a great shooting night," Carter-Williams said after the Jazz's 88-71 victory over the Sixers. "I didn't want to shy away from it. I didn't shoot the ball well … but I'd rather do that than have an open shot and not shoot the ball and hurt my teammates that way. I think if I had to do it again, I wouldn't pass up any of the shots or shy away from the game."
Utah contested 13 of Carter-Williams' 20 attempts, according to the league's SportVu tracking data. The Jazz were also happy to give him some of those other looks.
"Lately I've been going under a lot of screens," Jazz point guard Trey Burke said. "I think that's where I get in trouble at, just trying to trail every single screen. Guards are too good in this league. They're able to get down in the paint and make decisions when you're trailing. I just have to pick my spots when to go under and when to go over. Against a guy like Carter-Williams, we wanted to keep him out of the paint, so we went under a majority of them."
Carter-Williams, meanwhile, became one of just six players in the last 20 years to make two or fewer field goals on at least 20 attempts. Coincidentally, three of those six performances are by Sixers guards: Allen Iverson in 2004, Jrue Holiday in 2013 and Carter-Williams on Saturday. Former Jazzman Thurl Bailey went 2 for 20 in 1986 against the Denver Nuggets.
"It's tough. I just need to bounce back from it, I can't dwell on it," Carter-Williams said. "I think it's going to definitely push me to get better. ... I won't forget moments like this. Every great player says that it's moments like these which make you great, so that's what I'm hoping to learn from this."
Block Party
The Jazz came into Saturday night's game ranked seventh in the NBA in blocks, averaging 5.3 a game.
Forward Derrick Favors nearly matched that himself, tying a season high with five blocks. As a team, the Jazz finished with a season best 10 blocks against the Sixers.
"I just wanted to come out tonight and set the defense up and give a good defensive effort," Favors said. "We got a good team, we've got a lot of guys that can score so I just wanted to come out and set the tone defensively."
Injury Report
Guard Alec Burks will miss a second straight game with an injured left shoulder. Burks traveled with the team to Los Angeles but will not play against the Clippers on Monday.
afalk@sltrib.com
Twitter: @tribjazz
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) gets tangled up with Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33), NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) dunks the ball, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) gets tangled up with Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) shoots over Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyders shouts to his team, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) defends as Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) tries to take a shot, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers forward Furkan Aldemir (19) strips the ball from Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The P,hilidelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) is triple teamed by the Philadelphia 76ers as he goes in for a shot, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) fakes Philadelphia 76ers forward JaKarr Sampson (9) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) blocks a shot by Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah center Enes Kanter (0) goes up for two points for the Jazz, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) takes the ball inside, as Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) defends, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers forward JaKarr Sampson (9) takes the ball inside, as Philadelphia 76ers forward Malcolm Thomas (11) defends, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) coals as at the Jazz build a big lead in the final minutes of the game, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15) wrestles the ball from Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Jazz fans try to distract Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten (8) as he shoots a free-throw in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) tries to shoot over the long arm of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) tries to get through Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) and Philadelphia 76ers forward JaKarr Sampson (9), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) tries to get through Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) and Philadelphia 76ers forward JaKarr Sampson (9), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2), has a few words with Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) after he was shoved in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) shoves Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2), has a few words with the Philadelphia 76ers after he was shoved by Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2), has a few words with 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker (33) shoots over Philadelphia 76ers forward JaKarr Sampson (9), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) is called for a foul as Philadelphia 76ers guard Tony Wroten (8) takes a shot, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) shoots over Philadelphia 76ers center Henry Sims (35), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz forward Trevor Booker (33) scores for the Jazz, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) tries to get the ball past 76ers center Henry Sims (35), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) tries to keep up with Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) takes the ball to Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors (15), in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter (0) is called for a foul as he defends against Philadelphia 76ers forward Jerami Grant (39) in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. The Philadelphia 76ers at the EnergySolutions Arena, Saturday, December 27, 2014