Heading into the final home game of the season, Utah head coach Will Hardy wanted to give Jazz Nation one last night of joy.
Mission accomplished.
Despite trailing at the half, the shorthanded Jazz delivered one final inspiring performance on Thursday night, taking down Houston 124-121. With the win, the Jazz end the season with a home record of 21-20.
“I’m really proud of the team. … They deserved that win,” Hardy said postgame. “It’s been a hard couple of weeks. … They haven’t pointed fingers or folded mentally or emotionally. They just kept going, and that showed tonight with just the desperation the team was playing with.”
“They dug in and deserved to win,” he added. “Playing perfect and playing pretty is not necessarily important to me. … I don’t think that’s who we need to be in order to win. If you play imperfect but if you play that hard every night, I feel that more good will happen than bad.”
Here are five things to know following the win.
1.) Streak is Broken
It’s safe to say the last month hasn’t been kind to the Jazz.
Following the trade deadline that saw three rotational players sent out and injuries taking their toll against the starting lineup, Utah went from a team on the fringes of play-in contention to one staring at a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. The Jazz had lost 13 consecutive games heading into Thursday’s home finale against the Rockets.
That streak is now over.
Behind a team effort that saw seven players finish in double figures, Utah stormed back from a double-digit deficit after the first quarter to lead by two entering the final 12 minutes. From there, the teams went back and forth before a late 8-2 Jazz run in the final minutes decided the outcome.
Utah’s bench was vital, outscoring the Rockets 57-46. Brice Sensabaugh led the way with 17 points, Kenny Lofton Jr. added 14, and Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in 16. Lofton Jr. was particularly effective off the bench, adding nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 27 minutes.
2.) Rebounding Battle
One of the determining factors for Thursday’s game was who would win the rebounding battle. Both teams rank in the top four in rebounds per game—Jazz third (45.4 rpg), Houston fourth (45.3 rpg).
Utah dominated the glass, outrebounding the Rockets 49-39. Eight players grabbed at least four rebounds, led by Lofton Jr.’s nine and Darius Bazley’s seven. What made the performance even more impressive from a Jazz perspective is that they were down their top three rebounders; John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler. That trio combines for 24.2 rebounds per game, nearly half of Utah’s total on a nightly basis.
3.) Šamanić Shines
As mentioned above, the Jazz were severely depleted on Thursday. Their top four scorers were all in street clothes on the bench, which meant somebody would have to step up and take the reins as the primary option.
With Keyonte George running the offense, Luka Šamanić became the primary beneficiary. Thrust into the starting lineup amidst the injuries, Šamanić finished with a season-high 22 points (one off his career-best set last year). He finished 7-of-17 from the field but made a living at the free throw line, where he finished 7-for-9. He also added six rebounds and two assists, finishing with a +6 rating in 34 minutes.
Even more impressive was that Šamanić did most of his damage when defended by Dillon Brooks. Regarded as one of the best individual defenders in the league, Brooks had no answer for Šamanić’s combination of length and athleticism.
4.) Rookies Keep Shining
Despite going through a tough time as a team, one of the positives has been the development of Utah’s trio of rookies: George, Sensabuagh, and Taylor Hendricks — and Thursday night was more of the same.
George finished with 20 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals while shooting 7-for-14 from the field. Most impressively, George continues to show growth in his command of the offense as he took control in the second half. Sensabaugh is an impressive scorer off the bench, recording double digits for the fourth time in six games. While Hendricks may not have the points to back up his play, he does all of the little things that don’t show up in the box score yet they contribute to winning basketball. He finished with five points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
5.) Fan Appreciation
One of the most complicated relationships in sports is between a team and its fanbase. In a world where instant gratification is necessary, and patience is deemed weak, that relationship is often frail, just waiting to erupt at any sign of discomfort.
That’s not the case for Jazz Nation.
On the back of 292 consecutive sellouts, Jazz Nation helped Utah to its victory over the Rockets. The win gave the Jazz a 21-20 home record this season, marking the 10th consecutive season with a winning record at home.
“We value this building, we love the opportunity to play here,” Hardy said. “We want this to be a place that visiting teams don’t want to come to. … The fans are a huge part of that. We always want to try and protect our home floor. … It is a source of pride that we ended the season with a winning record at home.”
“I thought the team deserved this, I thought the fanbase deserved this,” he added. “There aren’t a lot of fanbases who would have had that presence tonight on a 13-game losing streak and already eliminated from the postseason. … I feel like everyone in Jazz Nation wanted this tonight."