This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

What Happened: Utah defeated the Hawks when Paul Millsap's jumper at the buzzer hit the front of the rim and bounced harmlessly to the ground. The miss gave the Jazz their first win in the current four game trip, which means the Jazz finish the trip with a 1-3 record. It wasn't before a lot of nervous moments. The Jazz led 95-88 with 2:20 remaining, but a few Atlanta made shots and a few Jazz turnovers later, and the Hawks had the chance to win it in the last possession. Still, it was a great win for Utah. It prevented them from being swept, and it got them back to the western part of the united states with a .500 record.

Different Team: The impact of Rudy Gobert can't be overstated. Utah's center returned after missing two games with a sprained ankle. He scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked three shots and handed out three assists. More importantly, with his return, the Jazz defense was back. The driving lanes were closed, and towards the end of the game the Hawks were forced to the perimeter. It made an enormous difference because in every game teams will go through perimeter droughts, if only briefly. Tonight, that drought allowed Utah to take that 95-88 lead and it turned out to be the difference.

Slow Start: Gordon Hayward's struggles are becoming increasingly obvious. Tonight, he had seven points and six rebounds, and did so in 38 minutes. The more concerning thing is Hayward playing 38 minutes and taking just nine shots. As Utah's top perimeter option, there are times he has to force the action and look for his offense, because an aggressive Hayward is good for the Jazz. He knows he has to find his groove and he's not frustrated. But teams are loading up on him and he knows he has to adjust to this.

What it means: The Jazz are 5-5, which is probably a good record considering they've played eight of those 10 games on the road, and have played against three of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The schedule lightens up a bit in the next two weeks in terms of circumstance. The Jazz don't face any back-to-backs in the next few weeks. But it's still a tough stretch with the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans in their next five games. Oh well. That's what being in the Western Conference is all about.

Tony Jones