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Kragthorpe: Jazz take a win the NBA schedule-maker gives them

Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with Jae Crowder (99) and Rudy Gobert (27) after the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, March 2, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Kim Raff)

Considering the Minnesota Timberwolves were missing their two best players in the second half and facing other challenges Friday night, the Jazz probably should not have agonized this much.

Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, who each scored 26 points, eventually made sure the Jazz won.

Really, what other choice did they have?

If the Jazz (32-30) had any hopes of staying in the Western Conference playoff chase, they absolutely needed this 116-108 victory over Minnesota at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Having rested since Monday, when they melted down in the second half of a home loss to Houston, the Jazz enjoyed their most favorable circumstances of the season against a good opponent. In other words, if they ever were going to beat the Timberwolves, Friday was the opportunity.

The degree of difficulty became even higher for Minnesota when star center Karl-Anthony Towns was ejected in the last minute of the first half after drawing a second technical foul. Yet after trailing by 11 points at halftime, the Timberwolves got within five in the last three minutes before Donovan Mitchell’s assist to Jae Crowder helped the Jazz secure the win.

Gobert’s point total was a season high; he also posted 16 rebounds and four blocked shots. The Jazz failed to solve their turnover issues, however. They lost the ball 18 times, giving them 40 turnovers in two games.

“Our reads just haven’t been as quick,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.

The Timberwolves stayed in the game behind 27 points from Andrew Wiggins and 25 from Jeff Teague, who thrived after Towns exited. “Guys end up having big games after [other] guys go out,” Snyder said.

ESPN.com devoted extensive work to a “Schedule Alert” study, selecting a few games during the season when each NBA team would have its biggest disadvantage. With the Timberwolves (38-28) playing a third road game in four nights and having gone to the wire Thursday in a loss at Portland, this was about as tough as it gets for a road team.

Mix in the absence of 22-point scorer Jimmy Butler due to a recent knee injury, and everything suggested the Jazz should win Friday.

Snyder, naturally, was not endorsing that theory. Teams get in trouble “the minute you think, ‘Hey we’ve got them in this situation or that situation,’ ” Snyder said before the game. “We’ve been in that situation and had success.”

That’s true. Some of the Jazz’s most remarkable performances on the road this season have come when they had rest disadvantages and personnel issues.

Even so, the Jazz absolutely had to capitalize on this opportunity. They finally took command late in the second quarter, closing with a 20-6 run that featured good defense and crisp offense, after they had lost nine turnovers as of the middle of the period.

The Jazz needed this win, having already had lost lost twice in three home games after the All-Star break. Falling to Houston was forgivable, considering he Rockets have the NBA’s best record, but the way it happened was disturbing. The Jazz committed 22 turnovers, mostly via poor passing, and blew a 15-point, second-quarter lead against a team that was short-handed and had played the previous night.

Mitchell blamed himself for losing eight of those turnovers, while making 1 of 9 shots from 3-point range. Other players such as Joe Ingles and Crowder shot almost as poorly, but the Jazz have come to expect a lot from the rookie.

“I don’t know if anyone could say they saw this coming, but he’s shown that he does it all,” said Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s explosive; he can play multiple positions. You make a mistake against him and he’ll make you pay. He plays with a lot of confidence. He does within the framework of what his team is trying to do, which is a little unusual for a rookie.”

As for Gobert, Thibodeau said, “He’s relentless in doing his job, and that’s what makes him such a good player.”

The Jazz, who play Saturday night at Sacramento, remain two games out of a playoff spot in the West. They didn’t get any help from Phoenix against sixth-place Oklahoma City. The Suns have threatened to beat some of the teams ahead of the Jazz lately, only to fade at the end. That happened again Friday, when the Jazz at least helped themselves.