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Raul Neto's first thought was he was going to be out for the rest the season.
The Utah Jazz point guard had suffered a nasty sprained ankle against the Portland Trail Blazers, and it couldn't have come at a worse time. Brimming with confidence, he had been playing his best basketball of the season and had claimed the backup point guard spot.
"I thought it was really bad at first," Neto said last week.
As it turns out, Neto's ankle kept him out of action for two weeks. He made his return in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers, playing three minutes in the fourth quarter — and scoring five points, including a corner 3-pointer.
The sample size is small, but Neto played well enough for there to be a chance at him garnering more minutes in Game 4.
"Raul's been really consistent defensively," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He came in and played well. He knocked down a shot, he drove the ball. He's been doing that all year. He was hurt for a few weeks and Shelvin (Mack) came in and did a good job. Raul came in last night and provided some juice."
For the Jazz, the backup point guard spot has resembled a game of musical chairs for most of the season. Mack was the primary backup early in the season, before he got injured and gave way to Dante Exum. Then, Neto came on toward the end of the season.
Whatever decision Snyder makes in Sunday's Game 4, the backup point guard spot has to defend better. Clippers backup Raymond Felton has made a significant impact on this series, defending physically and getting to the basket and scoring against the second unit.
On Sunday, it's imperative the Jazz outscore the Clippers when Chris Paul is resting, which means the backup minutes will be important to the Jazz. If it's Neto, he said last week that he is confident he can contribute when called upon.
Finishing stronger
Jazz players said they won't lack for confidence in Game 4, but they do know they have to close the game better.
Utah led the Clippers by eight points before a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter changed the complexion of Game 3 completely. Finding more stops defensively has been a primary topic, and making shots down the stretch is something players say will also be an emphasis.
"The loss was very frustrating, but you gotta put it behind you," Jazz forward Joe Johnson said. "We had so much momentum for so much of the game. But they had the momentum for the last four or five minutes."
Tip-ins
Jazz guard Alec Burks will be out indefinitely after getting a platelet rich plasma injection in his left knee on Thursday. … Center Jeff Withey garnered a DND-CD (did not play, coaches decision) in Game 3 for the first time in the series. He could be back in the rotation on Sunday. … Derrick Favors played a season-high 38 minutes Friday.
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