There are no Sunday scaries for Utah Jazz fans this week
Sunday night, Utah staged one of its most dramatic comebacks of the year. The Jazz overcame a 14-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to outscore the Bucks by 27 over the final 12 minutes and pick up the 123-108 victory. With the win, the Jazz snapped their three-game losing streak and remained in the final spot of the play-in tournament.
“I thought the team did a really good job tonight of really understanding what was actually happening in the game and not getting caught up in the emotion,” head coach Will Hardy said. “That group in the fourth quarter really caught a great rhythm. … For us to come away with a fourth quarter like that, against that level of a team, is a good win for us.”
Here are five things to know following the win.
1.) What. A. Comeback.
Fighting to get over the hump in the second half, the Jazz were on their final legs when Giannis Antetokounmpo knocked down two free throws to give the Bucks a 99-85 lead with 11:01 left in the game.
But Utah never quit, knowing they were the fresher team, and if they could respond with a quick run, they could make it interesting in the end. Utah blitzed the Bucks the rest of the way, going on an immediate 14-0 run as part of a more significant 38-9 run to end the game.
Kelly Olynyk and Lauri Markkanen hit back-to-back threes to start the run, but the play of Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, and Walker Kessler really turned the game.
Clarkson and George were superb at controlling the tempo, knowing when to push and when to set the offense up. George dropped 10 points, while Clarkson added five points and four assists in the final 12 minutes. Kessler gave the Jazz a presence in the paint, finishing with seven points, five rebounds, and one block in the fourth quarter.
“I thought it was big for us,” Hardy said of the comeback. “We understood they were on a back-to-back. … That’s where we got our legs. We play 10 guys so maybe our guys aren’t as worn down in the fourth quarter. I thought that group in the fourth quarter in particular. … I was happy with their pace because it wasn’t just off the dribble, we did a good job of throwing it ahead.”
2.) Starters vs. Bench
Coming into Sunday’s showdown, the contrasting styles of play between the Jazz and Bucks couldn’t have been more prevalent. Utah was getting 45.7 points per game from their bench this season, second most in the league. Likewise, Milwaukee leads the league at 91.8 points per game from its starters.
Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 33 points and 13 assists, Milwaukee did its job as its starters combined for 94 points. But the Jazz bench also stepped up, finishing with 55 points as three players scored in double figures.
Kessler finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while Olynyk added eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Clarkson finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
3.) Double-Doubles
John Collins is in one of the best stretches during his time with the Jazz.
After finishing Sunday with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Collins recorded his fourth double-double in six games. It was his 15th double-double this season, trailing Lauri Markkanen by one for the team lead. Over the past six games, he’s averaging 16 points and 10.5 rebounds on 63% shooting from the floor.
Meanwhile, George finished with the first double-double of his career when he dropped 19 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds. He was dominant in the second half where he scored 16 points, knocking down four threes.
“Trust the work,” George said postgame. “I feel like these next two months are where people can drop off and feel tired, but I’m trying to test myself and see if I can push though the fatigue and see what my body can take. I’m really dialing in mentally an physically, just trying to take myself to another level and carry myself like a pro every day.”
4.) Firing From Three
Entering Sunday night, Milwaukee is among the best in the NBA at defending the three-point line — one of the top teams in this category over the past three seasons. They give up an average of 34.2 attempts per game (10th in the NBA) while holding opponents to 35% shooting (5th).
The Jazz looked to buck that trend in the first quarter, shooting 7-of-15 from deep, with four different players knocking one down from deep. But Utah turned a six-point lead after one to a 12-point deficit heading to the fourth. However, things turned in the fourth when the Jazz knocked down five threes in the final 12 minutes.
Utah shot 17-of-44 from three, the fourth time they’ve hoisted 44+ threes in a game and the second time they’ve beat the Bucks this season doing so. In the four games Utah has attempted 44 threes this year, Sunday had the second-highest three-point percentage at 38.6%, which only topped in their victory in Milwaukee on Jan. 8.
5.) No Dame Time
Three nights ago, Philadelphia All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey lit up the Delta Center with 51 points. Unfortunately for Utah, their run of seeing All-Star guards wasn’t over as Weber State legend Damian Lillard came to town on Sunday.
Lillard thoroughly enjoys playing in the state of Utah, winning last season’s three-point contest at the All-Star break before dropping a 30/12/7 stat line in his return to Utah on March 22.
Utah did a much better job in limiting Lillard on Sunday. Beginning with Kris Dunn, Lillard never found a rhythm from the onset and finished just 5-of-18 from the field and 1-of-8 from deep. The Jazz held him to 12 points and a -21 rating in 38 minutes.
+1.) FREE STUFF
While the victory is always good, Sunday night was remarkable for an entirely different reason. Utah's victory over the Bucks led to four successful in-game promotions.
Win the opening tip: Fans win a FREE Double Cheeseburger (w/ minimum purchase of $2) courtesy of McDonald's.
Score 111+ points: Fans win a FREE Small Arby's Curly or Crinkle Fry.
Opposing team misses 2 FT's in the fourth quarter: Fans win FREE Chicken from Chick-fil-A.
Jazz Win: Fans win a free treat courtesy of Swig.