Significance of the Utah Jazz’s recent winning stretch
Winning is curing all of the Utah Jazz’s pre-existing worrisome conditions.
This Utah Jazz team is now routinely beating elite foes, even proving to do so in close games and away from the friendly confines of Vivint Arena. That was certainly the case on Sunday in their 118-114 road win over the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns, marking their eighth victory in their past nine outings to improve to 38-22 on the season (still No. 4 in the Western Conference standings).
All in all, these Jazzmen have overcome adversity, and they’ve done so in admirable fashion with head coach Quin Snyder regularly employing a frightening 10-man rotation.
The Jazz players rallied together to overcome an injury-riddled January that saw them go 4-12 overall. And the result has been their in-sync performances on both ends of the floor throughout most contests since. Except for the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers leading up to the All-Star break, Utah has bordered on flawless as of late when executing late-game situations.
The squad’s recent potent stretch has included wins over four of the top six teams in the Western Conference standings. It’s also worth noting that the last two teams to fall victim to the Jazz train, the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, represent the franchise’s most probable opponents — at least at this juncture — when looking ahead to the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs.
Moreover, Utah is enjoying a new full-time bench weapon in small forward Danuel House Jr., whose dogged defense and clutch 3-point stroke earned him a spot on the floor late in the fourth quarter against the Suns, helping to fuel the statement W.
House must have many other franchises kicking themselves right now. Yes, the athletic sixth-year pro was entirely up for grabs on several occasions this season. But only the Jazz brass was smart enough to pounce on the opportunity to give him a shot to prove his 3-and-D contributions are still dangerous.
The power of Utah Jazz veterans shining in unison
Speaking of the bench, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson is playing perhaps more polished than ever before, especially with his decision-making and even his defensive efforts.
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As for the group’s two 2022 All-Stars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, well, they appear to be getting along just fine despite rampant rumors to the contrary just a few weeks ago. Wins, after all, quickly heal any wounds that losses tend to expose.
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While dominating their respective areas with remarkable efficiency, Mitchell and Gobert have shown that the Jazz can beat anyone in the league when their main cast is fully healthy and in action. Simple as that.
All in all, it should now be abundantly clear to any observer that this Utah Jazz collection is a bonafide contender.
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