It’s great to be home.
After being on the road for the better part of a month, Utah returned to the Delta Center for a rare Saturday afternoon game against Miami. A back-and-forth affair through three quarters, the Jazz broke through with an impressive final 12 minutes as they took down the Heat 117-109.
“That’s a really hard game to win,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “After being on the road for a long time and a 3 p.m. start time, that’s a really good team we just beat. … Really happy for our team. A really good team win. … The guys will get a little bit of rest tomorrow.”
Here are five things to know following the win.
1.) Team Strength
After being a hot topic over the past month, only one thing is certain with Hardy and his rotation
“Nothing is set in stone,” he said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup. If we can get our team to think about that as something that’s OK, then that’s going to be great for us. … It’s a strength.”
Over the past few games, he’s settled on a 10-man rotation. He expanded to 11 against New Orleans, using Talen Horton-Tucker for a six-minute stint in the second half when he felt the team needed a spark. Saturday was back to “normal” as he played 10 guys, all of whom saw between 15-31 minutes.
Much like the rotation, Hardy is going with a matchup-based starting lineup. He’s changed starting lineups the last three games, focusing on the individual and team matchups above all else. With Miami smaller in stature, Hardy elected to start Simone Fontecchio at the forward spot instead of Walker Kessler. John Collins was moved to the center to match up with the Heat better.
2.) Keyonte Takes Over
With Utah’s two leading scorers struggling from the floor, the Jazz needed somebody to step up in the final 12 minutes. Still searching for a rhythm since returning from a foot injury a few games ago, Keyonte George found one in the fourth quarter and became that guy for Utah.
George was sensational in the end, dropping 12 points and three assists in the final 12 minutes. He allowed the game to come to him, not forcing shots and punishing the Heat for leaving him open from beyond the arc. His poise down the stretch of the game and ability to bounce back after a difficult first half was good to see
He finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists, shooting 6-of-10 from the field, 5-of-8 from three, and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
“Keyonte was in a little bit of a funk early in the game, couldn’t find a rhythm,” Hardy said. “He kept his head, continued to play hard, and made a bunch of big plays for us down the stretch. He shifted his mindset during the game. … He was communicating really well in getting us organized. He made a few threes off the dribble, which extended their defense and gave us advantages.”
3.) Oh My, Ochai
Ochai Agbaji has become well-known for his high-flying dunks throughout his young career. Yet on Saturday afternoon, Agbaji put that elite athleticism to a different use.
With Miami’s Tyler Herro streaking down the court for an easy fast-break dunk, Agbaji never gave up on the play. At a full sprint to run him down, Agbaji met Herro at the rim and denied the dunk with a pretty one-handed block.
While the block was one of many Agbaji has had this season, Saturday afternoon’s against Herro might be his best.
4.) Bench Unit Ballin’
While there was plenty of star power in the starting lineups on Saturday, the Jazz and Heat are also known for having some of the deepest teams in the league. They entered the game in the top eight in bench scoring, with Utah at 5th (41.9 ppg) and Miami at 8th (38.8).
Saturday was an impressive showing by Utah’s second unit as they got the better of the Heat. Not only did the Jazz surpass their nightly average, but they also got stops on defense as they outscored Miami 59-42.
Kelly Olynyk was the main protagonist, playing an all-around good game by finishing with 19 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. Kessler was also very good off the bench, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Jordan Clarkson and George also shined in the backcourt, combining for 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
“We had seven guys in double figures, 29 assists. … The ball is moving around,” Hardy said. “We are playing a lot of different lineups. … It’s good to see us figure out a way to win on a night we didn’t shoot the ball well.”
5.) Home Again
When asked on Friday afternoon if he could remember the last time the Jazz played two consecutive games in the Delta Center, Kessler thought long and hard before admitting he couldn’t remember.
Who could blame him? It was Nov. 25 and 27, back-to-back victories over the Pelicans.
The past month hadn’t been kind to the Jazz from a scheduling standpoint, as Utah played 11 of its last 16 games on the road. All of those games came in different cities.
That’s why Kessler and the Jazz believe that their three-game homestand couldn’t have come at a better time. They can return to their regular routines, see their families, sleep in their own beds, and find a rhythm in their personal life.
It paid off with a big win Saturday night.
“Our defense overall had been very good,” Hardy said. “I thought our halfcourt defense was pretty good tonight. … The lineup changes make the coverage change, and the guys did a good job communicating. The attention to detail was good.”