Propelled by Georges Niang’s 7-for-7 attempt from the deep, Utah overcomes early missteps for a 132-110 victory.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (10) Utah Jazz striker Royce O’Neale (23) and Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) spray water on Utah Jazz striker Georges Niang (31 ), during his post-game interview, in NBA action between the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets at Vivint Arena on Monday, February 22, 2021.
For three-quarters of Monday night, the Utah Jazz played lethargic basketball – not engaged in transitional defense, enforcing isolation looks, careless handling of the ball, consumed by arguing with the referees.
They were double digits behind the Charlotte Hornets and the game was set to move to the final 12 minutes shortly.
And then they flipped the mother of all switches.
Rudy Gobert stopped the paint, and the perimeter defenders locked up the Hornets gunners. Georges Niang and Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson suddenly had all the open looks they could ever dream of, and they didn’t miss. And a blistering, incendiary, soul-crushing 26-2 run in the space of 5 minutes turned what was to be a bad loss into a ridiculously easy 132-110 victory.
“The way we played during the game is the team we want to be. The number 1 team in the league wins such a game, ”said Donovan Mitchell, who shrugged off six mind-boggling turnovers and finished with 23 points, eight assists and four rebounds. “I think that’s really where our heads are – that’s where we should stay.”
Utah was down a whopping 81-70 before things turned around. They were 90-85 behind when the real thing happened.
It started, strangely enough, with a Mike Conley 3 pointer that didn’t count.
Charlotte somehow sent six players onto the field after a time-out, and no one noticed until just when Conley was still wide open – playing five-on-six – for a 3. The shot ended. waved off, the referees called a technical foul, and Clarkson made it.
Then he followed with a lay-up and Niang added a 3 for a quick small 6-0 burst to end the period and put the Jazz on top.
They had just started.
In the fourth, Clarkson threw an alley-oop to Gobert for his first basket of the game. Then Clarkson hit a 3. Gordon Hayward got a bucket for Charlotte, but then… Niang hit another 3. The Clarkson’s other. Then Niang hit another. Then Conley hit one. And then Niang hit another.
It took less than 5 minutes. In that stretch, the Hornets shot 1 for 6 (thanks in part to back-to-back blocked shots by Gobert) and made two turns. And just like that, the Jazz went up 111-92.
“They were very comfortable throughout the game. We know we didn’t have a lot of physicality, a lot of disruption in the first half, and they felt good. And when we started playing in it a little bit, getting physical, protecting the basket, it was a different game, ”said the Frenchman, finishing with 10 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. “Most of the time we will be able to score, but if we don’t play defense, we’re not going anywhere.”
Niang also gave credit to Gobert and his defensive efforts to bring about the turnaround. But since Iowa State product obliterated his shooting with a 7-to-7 attempt past the arc, no one would let him get away with that kind of deflection.
“You can get frustrated when you don’t see the ball go into the basket, especially someone like Georges, who can shoot just as well as he does. I just liked that he didn’t hesitate and kept shooting, ”said coach Quin Snyder. “And so you break through, you keep shooting at it. … His shooting is something that, when he’s at it, is a big deal for us. He’s a weapon. “
Niang was of course totally zen and absolutely subdued about his outbreak: “When you take pictures, life is great, there are never any problems in the world.”
Meanwhile, with Ingles 7 of 10 from deep for 21 points, and Clarkson with 5 of 10 past the arc for 20 points, the Utah bench set an NBA record with 19 3s made (as part of a new team record 28 overall).
“That is an incredible achievement. Nineteen 3s is a lot of points, ”added Niang. “I wasn’t a math major, but that’s a lot of points.”
And with that, they could afford to just shake off the 23 turnovers that led to 25 Hornets points. They could temporarily forget that their pick and roll defense was almost three-quarters of a sieve. They could take a moment to shower Niang with water bottles at a post-game party, and enjoy being 25-6 in the season.
Snyder will make sure the bill comes.
But in the meantime… yes, that’s a lot of points.