The last time the Jazz faced Oklahoma City on Dec. 11, they trailed by 36 points heading to the fourth quarter. While Utah would outscore the Thunder by 22 in the final 12 minutes to make the final more respectable, the issues in the game were part of a larger scale. With the loss, the Jazz fell to 7-16 on the season and looked far from the postseason contender they hoped to be.
While sitting at the podium postgame, Hardy delivered some very poignant quotes about the state of the team that night and what he hoped the team could be moving forward.
"Right now, for me. … As we are building our team, building our program, and trying to become a team that's hunting a championship, the first thing we have to address is our mindset every night," Hardy said that night. "We need people that are willing to dig in and be physical, and be tough, and just out of let it rip no matter what's going on in the game. … That's the part for me that I'm most focused on right now."
"I'm not going to sit here and make an excuse, and I'm also not going to sit here and blow smoke," he added. "We are all out there competing and trying to win the game. … We're also trying to represent our organization, our fanbase, and the state of Utah every night we take the floor."
While the Thunder have continued to play at a high level since that victory, going 12-6 and climbing to No. 2 in the Western Conference, the Jazz have completely turned around their season. Utah had gone an NBA-best 15-4 — tied with Boston for the best record during that span — since that defeat, surging ahead with a top-five net rating during that time.
So when these two teams met again on Thursday night, the stage was set for questions to be answered regarding the Jazz. Were they a team on the rise, capable of making a legit postseason push over the final half of the season? Or were they a squad that happened to catch lightning in a bottle?
Forty-eight minutes of game time later and, one thing was abundantly clear: the Jazz are legit. Utah won the second and third quarters, trimming a 19-point deficit to three entering the fourth quarter. Although they came up short, falling 134-129, the Jazz showed off their toughness and resilience throughout the night.
"I think tonight, they (OKC) came out and were really dictating the tempo of the game on both ends," Hardy said. "I thought the response from our team was great. … I didn't have to say much about it tonight, the guys were going, 'It's a long game, let's chip away.' I don't question the fight of our team."
While there are no such things as moral victories in the NBA — a win is a win, and a loss is a loss, just as it looks in the standings — Thursday night was still a positive for the Jazz if they have the right mindset moving forward.
"The way I like to look at things is that if we can not play our best and still stay with them (OKC), you got to look at those positives," Kris Dunn said. "They've been playing great basketball all year, and we are starting to play great basketball. … You got to look at the positives and realize that we aren't too far behind."
With their six-game winning streak snapped, the Jazz will head out for their final massive road trip of the season. Utah will play six games in 11 days, including a back-to-back against Brooklyn and New York to end the trip. The Jazz are tied for the most road games played in the Western Conference with 22, and will lead the NBA in road games once this trip is complete.
"When you go on the road, everything is in-house. … It's the team versus everybody else," Dunn said. "That's when we need to be at our best as a team. … Our camaraderie has got to be there. You gotta have that energy each and every day because it's not going to be easy. … We've been winning games, and teams are going to look at us differently."
Despite the loss to the Thunder, Utah has no intention of slowing down. They believe the past 20 games are more indicative of the team they truly are compared to their first 20 games. They'll have a chance to continue their climb up the standings, doing so in impressive fashion on the road.
"I truly believe that we have a group that can win games, make a run, and make some noise," John Collins said. "That's been the feeling throughout our entire locker room. … We have a lot of guys who can play the game. We're really deep as a team, we trust each other, we want to play for one another, and we want to win. … There isn't any lack of belief in this locker room."
"I think the first part of our season shows the character of the group, not just in one single game but over a chunk of games," Hardy added. "I definitely don't worry about their toughness or mental resolve. … I wouldn't trade our team for anybody else."