Playoffs2017

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The 2016-17 Utah Jazz season came to an end with a 121-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday night in Salt Lake City.

After winning 51 games in the regular season and defeating the LA Clippers 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs, the Jazz were swept by the high-powered Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Gordon Hayward once again led the Jazz in scoring with 25 points. Excluding his food poisoning game—when he scored three points in nine minutes—Hayward averaged 26.2 points in 10 postseason games.

Rudy Gobert finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and one block, while Shelvin Mack scored 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.

Steph Curry went off for 30 points (on 9-for-15 shooting), and Draymond Green finished with a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in the win. Klay Thompson bounced back with 21 points after scoring only six points in Game 3 on Saturday.

The Jazz were in some serious trouble when Danté Exum entered the game late in the first quarter. And then ... the young guard took over, scoring nine second-quarter points—including two on a double-clutch, two-handed dunk in traffic—to spark Utah's lethargic offense. And Exum didn't just score. He turned up the D on Green and Curry; hit the boards with a big offensive rebound that led to his own corner three; and provided an injection of energy that quickly spread to the entire team. In all, Exum finished with 15 points (the most he's scored since dropping 22 against the Thunder on March 11) to go along with three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 32 minutes.

Golden State once again blitzed the Jazz early, building a double-digit lead within five minutes of the opening tip. By the end of the first quarter, the Warriors led 39-17. Utah shot 6-for-25 in the opening quarter, while Golden State shot 12-for-21. Hayward and Gobert combined for 10 of Utah's 17 points. Curry had 14 points for Golden State.

The Jazz went on a 14-0 run early in the second quarter to get themselves (and the crowd) back in the game. Joe Ingles made a bucket, and then Derrick Favors scored six straight points—including a two-handed dunk over Green. Exum threw down a driving dunk and then Joe Johnson made two free throws. Exum capped the run with a layup that cut the deficit to 10 and forced a Golden State timeout.

The Warriors responded with eight straight points and pushed their lead back to 18, but the Jazz closed the first half on a 12-2 run and trailed by only eight at the half. Buckets by Johnson and Hayward, along with threes by Ingles and Exum, kept Utah rolling.

The teams played a back-and-forth third quarter, with the Jazz staying within single digits until Curry and Andre Iguodala sank back-to-back threes to push Golden State's lead back to 14. Hayward scored 12 points in the third period, while Mack added 11 points.

Utah ran out of gas down the stretch as Golden State pulled away for the lopsided victory. The Warriors outscored the Jazz 28-16 in the fourth quarter.

Utah shot only 37.1 percent from the field, while Golden State was on fire throughout the night. The Warriors shot 51.2 percent from the field, 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from 3-point range, and 88.9 percent (24-for-27) from the free-throw line for a true shooting percentage of 63.9. Utah's true shooting percentage was 46.9

The Warriors dictated the pace of the game, getting out in the open court and outscoring the Jazz 19-4 in transition.

The Warriors have won all eight of their playoff games and 23 of their past 24 games overall. ... George Hill (toe) missed his third consecutive game. ... Rodney Hood sprained his knee early in the fourth quarter and did not return to the game. He finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 14 minutes. ... Kevin Durant finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Warriors. ... Ingles snagged a game-high four steals. ... Utah outscored Golden State 46-40 in the paint.

The Jazz will open up the 2017-18 season sometime in October. The NBA Draft is on June 22 and will be followed by the 2017 Utah Jazz Summer League.

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The Roundup—Jazz 95, Warriors 121

Thank you for a wonderful season. This has been a great ride, watching the years of building and work come to fruition. Watching Gordon grow from the scrawny kid from Indiana to an All-Star. To see Rudy Gobert become a bona fide threat in the NBA. Admiring Quin Snyder and his coaching staff and their incredible effort and preparation. There are so many memories.

Your passion drives me every day to give everything I have to this job. I sincerely hope you feel that from me. Thank you. It has been an honor and privilege to bring you Jazz basketball for this season. I’m excited for opening day 2017.

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EMPTYING THE NOGGIN - Thanks

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Photos - Jazz 95, Warriors 121

The Utah Jazz needed to play a perfect game—and they nearly did, taking a nine-point lead in the third quarter before the Golden State Warriors caught fire late and handed the Jazz a 102-91 loss in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday night.

The Jazz now trail 0-3 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 set for Monday night in Salt Lake City.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant (who've combined to win the past three NBA MVP awards) scored Golden State's final 22 points. The duo combined to shoot 7-for-9 from the field (including 3-for-4 from 3-point range) and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 29 points, while Rudy Gobert logged another double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds (plus four assists and two blocks).

Shelvin Mack (11 points), Joe Ingles (10 points) and Boris Diaw (10 points) also scored in double figures for the Jazz. George Hill (toe) missed his second consecutive game.

Durant exploded for a game-high 38 points, while Curry added 23 points (on 6-for-20 shooting). Draymond Green (nine points) and Klay Thompson (seven points) struggled in the win.

Hayward once again carried the offensive load for the Jazz, scoring from all over the court en route to 29 points. He made threes in transition and a handful of contested jumpers, and he was aggressive in getting to the hoop (he shot 13-for-14 from the free-throw line). He also led the team with six assists. It was the sixth time this offseason that Hayward has scored at least 26 points.

After getting destroyed in the first quarter in the first two games, the Jazz kept it tight early on. A pull-up jumper by Hayward and alley-oop jam by Gobert kick-started Utah's offense and tied the game at 10-10. The Warriors shot 3-for-10 from the field to start the game.

After falling behind by 11 points early in the second quarter, the Jazz closed that half on a 30-18 run to take a one-point lead into the break. Mack made three free throws. Diaw got into the lane and bounced in a runner. Gobert took a pass from Hayward and threw down a transition dunk. Ingles buried a corner three, and then Gobert dished to Diaw twice—once for a layup and then for a dunk. Another dunk by Gobert and a bucket by Joe Johnson pulled the Jazz within two, and then a corner three by Rodney Hood gave Utah its first lead of the series with one minute left in the first half.

Utah kept things rolling in the third quarter with a 12-4 run to open the second half. Hayward out-muscled Green and hit nothing but net on a fadeaway jumper. Ingles put in a layup. Hayward pulled up and knocked down two straight 3-pointers. And Diaw found Gobert for a alley-oop jam to push Utah's lead to nine at 62-53.

Golden State, though, responded with a 14-4 run—thanks to two buckets, including a transition three, by Curry—to take back the lead and set up a down-to-the-wire finish. Johnson missed a wide-open corner three with 4:20 left that would have tied the game, and Andre Iguodala immediately drained a jumper on the other end to push Golden State's lead to five. Hayward drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and drilled all three free throws to pull Utah back within two. Curry and Durant, though, took over with back-to-back threes to give Golden State a quick eight-point lead with just over three minutes left in the game.

The Jazz held a 50-49 lead at halftime, which marked the first time since March 11 (against the San Antonio Spurs) that Golden State has failed to score at least 50 points in the first half of a game.

Curry (3-for-11), Thompson (0-for-4) and Green (0-for-3) combined to shoot only 16.7 percent from 3-point range.

Utah's reserves managed only 10 points as Johnson (seven points on 3-for-12 shooting) and Hood (three points on 1-for-8 shooting) struggled from the field.

The Jazz out-assisted the Warriors 19-17. Golden State averaged 32.5 assists in the first two games ... Green picked up a technical foul in the second quarter. Durant picked up both a flagrant and a technical foul on the same play in the fourth (for shoving and then jawing with Gobert). ... Diaw re-entered the starting lineup in place of Johnson, who had started the first two game of the series. ... The Warriors did not commit a turnover in the second half.

The Jazz will stay at home to take on the Warriors for Game 4 on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT, and the game will be televised on TNT.

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The Roundup—Jazz 91, Warriors 102

Summary: The Warriors’ MVPs answered the bell late with an incredible performance from Kevin Durant.

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Emptying the Noggin — The Warriors’ MVPs win the game

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Photos - Jazz 91, Warriors 102

Summary: The Jazz picked their poison and the poison got them beat. The Warriors take a 2-0 series lead with a 115-104 victory over Utah Thursday night.

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EMPTYING THE NOGGIN — Draymond makes the Jazz pay

The Warriors once again blitzed the Jazz right from the opening tip, but Utah punched back and took Golden State down to the wire before falling 115-104 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals Thursday night.

Utah trails 0-2 as the series shifts to Salt Lake City for games on Saturday and Monday.

Gordon Hayward bounced back from a 12-point showing in Game 1 with a game-high 33 points for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert double-doubled with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Shelvin Mack started in place of George Hill—who missed the game with a lingering toe injury—and scored 14 points in 31 minutes.

Kevin Durant led Golden State in points (25), rebounds (11) and assists (seven). Steph Curry added 23 points, while Draymond Green finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. Both Curry and Green shot 5-for-8 from 3-point range.

Hayward had a rough go early on, shooting only 1-for-5 in the first quarter. He got rolling, though, with eight points in the second quarter (and 21 in the second half). Overall, Hayward shot 11-for-19 from the field (including 3-for-8 from 3-point range) and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, four assists and one steal in 40 minutes. This was the third time Hayward has scored at least 30 points this postseason (and the fifth time he's scored at least 25).

The Warriors were on fire from the opening tip and eventually took a 20-point lead midway through the second quarter. The Jazz, though, responded with a 10-0 run, and they trailed by 13 at halftime. Hayward hit three shots—including a banked-in runner and a tough turnaround jumper—and Gobert threw down two straight monster dunks (off slick passes from Mack and Hayward).

The Jazz kept things rolling in the third quarter, starting the second half on a 10-3 run to cut Golden State's lead to six. Johnson and Mack each made a 3-pointer, while Gobert and Rodney Hood added buckets in the paint. Golden State, though, pushed its lead back to 15 within three minutes.

The Jazz kept things close until the final whistle, pulling within seven with 2:04 to go before eventually falling by 11. Hayward scored nine points in the fourth quarter, while Danté Exum added five.

The Jazz outscored the Warriors 67-59 during the second and third quarters. Utah shot 26-for-42 (61.9 percent) from the field over that stretch.

Hood failed to make a 3-pointer for the second straight game. He's now 0-for-9 from beyond the arc during the series (and 1-for-18 over his last four games).

After getting outscored 29-6 in fast-break points in Game 1, the Jazz made a conscious effort to prevent Golden State from getting out in transition (mostly by committing "take" fouls before the Warriors could get down the court). The results were significantly better—Golden State scored 19 fast-break points to Utah's 18 in Game 2.

Utah forced 17 Golden State turnovers (compared to seven in Game 1) and turned those into 22 points (compared to only four in Game 1).

Exum chipped in seven points, two assists and a steal, and he finished with a team-best net rating of +4 in 14 minutes off the bench. ... Utah shot 16-for-20 (80.0 percent) from the free-throw line. ... The Warriors have won all six of their playoff games this year. ... Former Jazz guard Ian Clark scored eight points in nine minutes off the bench for the Warriors. He shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range. ... The Jazz shot 12-for-32 (37.5 percent) from 3-point range.

The Jazz will return home to take on the Warriors for Game 3 on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MT, and the game will be televised on ABC.

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The Roundup—Jazz 104, Warriors 115

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