Entering one of their most important stretches of the season — and just days away from the All-Star break — the Jazz are trying to figure out their rotation post-trade deadline. Going with a new starting lineup, Utah stayed with Golden State for much of the game. But Steph Curry got cooking in the latter half of the fourth quarter, and the Jazz fell 129-107 on Monday night.
"They (Curry and Klay Thompson) got hot, and they hit a couple of shots that were really hard shots, so it ends up snowballing on you," head coach Will Hardy said postgame. "I think I was pretty open about the fact that I don't expect for these couple of games post-trade deadline to always be pretty because we're going to be playing a lot of groups that we haven't seen. … They're getting some reps at practice, but again, you can't simulate a game."
Following Thursday's loss to Phoenix, the Jazz had three days off before hosting Golden State. Hardy said that most of that time would be spent trying to figure out his starting lineup and rotation following three players being sent away.
"We're going to try and take these next three days before we play again, get home, get these guys a little bit of rest," Hardy said last week. "We've got certain guys adjusting to new roles, we got to clean some things up. … I would anticipate that these next couple of games, we're going to have to experiment a little bit and try a few different things out."
After playing with a 10-man rotation for most of the season, it appears Hardy has settled into a nine-man rotation. The most significant change came in the starting lineup, with Keyonte George replacing Kris Dunn. It's an expected move for the Jazz as George gives Utah more spacing on the court, especially with Walker Kessler in the starting lineup.
Hardy went with a first five consisting of George, Kessler, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and John Collins. Rookie Taylor Hendricks was the first off the bench, followed by Jordan Clarkson. Dunn and Talen Horton-Tucker were the final two players to see action in the first quarter.
"I felt like it's time. … Keyonte is a big part of our program," Hardy said about George returning to the starting lineup. "I think to this point in pick-and-roll, and even some of the off-ball stuff with Lauri, I think that Keyonte has been a really good facilitator. … I think that Keyonte stepping into that role is ultimately what's best for our team moving forward."
"Kris knows that his role is still the same for our team. … It's still going to be about playing anywhere from 17-to-20 minutes and trying to guard the best player on the floor," Hardy added.
Sexton and Clarkson led six players in double figures with 22 points each. Sexton added six rebounds and four assists, while Clarkson chipped in four rebounds. Markkanen finished with 19 points and five rebounds, while Collins added 11. Kessler had a near double-double of 11 points and nine rebounds.
With George back in the starting lineup — and Kelly Olynyk traded last week — that meant one of the best bench units in the league from a scoring perspective took a big hit as those two combined for 19 points a night.
Horton-Tucker was happy to fill that role as a scorer off the bench.
Playing the most minutes (16) he's played since Christmas, Horton-Tucker gave Utah a much-needed spark in the second unit when he finished with 13 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He shot 5-of-9 from the floor and 1-for-3 from three, finishing with a +6 rating.
The Warriors got off to a blistering start, taking a 28-17 lead late in the first quarter. But the Jazz rode out the storm as a pair of Clarkson free throws cut the deficit to eight heading to the second. Utah kept the momentum, going on a 17-7 run to take a 43-41 lead midway through the quarter. The teams would exchange buckets before a late flourish by the Warriors, ending with a Draymond Green half-court buzzer-beater, had the Jazz trailing 63-55 at the break.
Kessler had arguably the best play of the half when he finished with a bucket and a block on back-to-back possessions midway through the first quarter. Cutting from the wing, Kessler took a drop pass from Sexton before splitting the defense and finishing through contact for the layup. He then sprinted the length of the court to block a layup attempt by Jonathon Kuminga.
After posting four blocks against the Suns last week, Kessler finished with four blocks while altering numerous others on Monday. He has six consecutive games of 3+, the longest stretch of his career.
The Warriors have made a living in the paint recently, posting 12 straight games with 50+ points in the paint. That's the second-longest streak in the NBA this year and the longest by Golden State in 25 years. Kessler helped the Jazz end that streak as the Warriors posted 48 points on 51.1% shooting.
With Curry and Thompson catching fire in the fourth, the Jazz tried to stay afloat but couldn't string together enough stops on the defensive end. Utah shot it well from beyond the arc and at the rim, but their struggles in the paint couldn't be overcome.
"There are some plays where we need to be a little more physical driving the ball, but ultimately, we didn't finish very well at the rim. … With that always comes the spacing, I don't think that our spacing helped the players that were driving the ball to make great decisions," Hardy said.
The Jazz return to action on Wednesday when they welcome LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers to town. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.