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In the past, Rodney Hood wouldn't have been able to bounce back so quickly.

In the past, the Utah Jazz shooting guard would've let a bad shooting night fester mentally and morph into further struggles. Hood knew he wasn't at his best on Wednesday night, as he and his teammates squeaked out a win over the Denver Nuggets.

But he made a determined effort to forget about it. He told himself to be aggressive on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Be aggressive, and live with the results.

In what turned out to be an 84-81 victory at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Hood made sure his bad game didn't turn into a slump. His results? A game-high 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting.

"I think it helped just having a short-term memory," Hood said. "I've been getting better mentally, and I remember early in the season letting a situation like this go over from game to game. I'm maturing, so I just wanted to be aggressive, as long as I hit shots or not."

In a game where the Jazz struggled to score, Hood's performance proved gargantuan. Utah struggled with Milwaukee's length at almost every position, and Hood was the one guy who was able to get into the lane with regularity and make shots for himself and others.

As a result, his teammates followed his lead through the first three quarters, while small forward Gordon Hayward proved huge down the stretch.

Hood hit three 3-pointers, while grabbing three rebounds and coming up with a pair of steals. He was the only Jazz perimeter player to hit at least half his shots, and he made both free throws.

"Tonight, my job was to try to make a play for someone else," Hood said. "I just tried to come out and be aggressive and be ready to shoot the ball when the opportunity presented itself."

His teammates have noticed the change, especially with Alec Burks out until after the All-Star break with a fractured fibula. Utah simply needs Hood to be offensively aggressive every night. With Burks healthy, that was a luxury, and that luxury no longer exists.

"I think he knows that we need him, to score for us to be successful, and that gives him confidence," Jazz forward Trevor Booker said. "He's growing up, and his game is growing. That's what we need from him."

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Storylines

R Rodney Hood led all scorers with 23 points.

• Hood makes three 3-pointers on the night, almost half the total team output.

• The Jazz win their fifth consecutive game.