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SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Jazz have been stung by three losses in their last four games. What hurts worse is how these setbacks are unfolding.

The Jazz feel like they took a step backward with defensive communication in their latest loss -- a 102-95 setback to Memphis on Saturday. It turned out to be an incredible game for the Grizzlies' top three players on offense. Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined to score 69 points on 61 percent shooting.

Every time Utah appeared poised to rally and overtake Memphis in the second half, one of those three players sunk the Jazz with a barrage of baskets across multiple possessions.

"Anytime we have breakdowns, it's because we're not talking to each other," said guard Rodney Hood, who finished with a team-high 20 points against the Grizzlies. "We're not helping each other out. I think that's the biggest thing. It's tough to lose when you know you can do better on that end."

Utah (30-19) normally makes life difficult for opponents at home. The Jazz have allowed just 93.5 points per game in 26 home games this season. Opponents in those games shoot 42.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from the perimeter.

The absence of Derrick Favors made a huge impact on Utah's ability to get stops in its most recent game. Without Favors in the post, Randolph and Gasol were able to muscle their way down low to get multiple easy baskets and get into an early rhythm.

"We missed his physicality as much as anything." Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Boris (Diaw) fought like crazy. Trey Lyles fought. We went small because we thought we could try and stretch them and play a little differently."

Milwaukee heads to Salt Lake City on Wednesday with a slightly different goal in mind. The Bucks (21026) are looking for ways to get out to a stronger start and reverse a slump that has seen the team lose eight times in nine games.

Against Boston, Milwaukee had to rally from an 11-point deficit to force overtime. The Bucks expended too much energy in the rally and came up short down the stretch, falling 112-108 in overtime.

It has become a trend lately. Milwaukee has trailed by double digits at halftime in each of its last three games. The Bucks are just 4-17 when trailing at halftime this season.

"Teams get a lead on us," Bucks center Greg Monroe said. "We do a great job of continuing to fight and get back into the game, but those lapses early in the game cost us. Sometimes that one run early in the game hurts you."

This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. Utah has won four straight over Milwaukee after sweeping the Bucks each of the last two seasons.

The Jazz have also won 14 consecutive home games over Milwaukee since falling to the Bucks 119-112 on Oct. 30, 2001.

The list of NBA draft pundits who regarded Giannis Antetokounmpo as a project is too long for this space.

They called him raw, a guy without much of an overall skill set. They said that he'd take years to mature physically. Fourteen teams, including the Utah Jazz, passed over him in the 2013 draft.

Now one of the top all-around players in the league, the man nicknamed "The Greek Freak" and "Alphabet" will lead the Milwaukee Bucks against the Jazz on Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The kid few believed could become an All-Star has become an All-Star before the natural end of his rookie contract (Antetokounmpo signed an extension last summer).
but I definitely used it as motivation."

The 2013 draft is considered widely to be one of the worst in a generation. Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick out of UNLV, is no longer in the NBA. Michael Carter-Williams, the rookie of the year in that class, is currently a backup point guard with the Chicago Bulls. There are seemingly more busts through the first round than quality starters.

If there was a re-do, Antetokounmpo and Jazz center Rudy Gobert almost certainly would be the top two overall picks. Antetokounmpo went No. 15, Gobert No. 27. The two play against each other twice a year, but they recognize and acknowledge the bond they share.

"He's a special talent," Gobert said. "I like to watch him play, and it's great to see a guy succeed that was underrated. He's a unique player. I kind of like to watch what he's doing from afar."

Antetokounmpo has blossomed into one of the best players in the league. He's averaging 23.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. There are few forwards in the league outside of LeBron James and Kevin Durant who are capable of influencing a game in that many ways.

He has a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 27.20, which is one of the best in the league. He's shooting almost 53 percent from the field.

But the stats don't do his overall impact justice. Antetokounmpo is rare on both ends.

He's one of the most diverse defensive players in the game, blocking two shots and coming up with 1.8 steals a game.

He essentially runs Milwaukee's offense as the point guard but can play anywhere from the point to power forward. That makes him a nightmare matchup for most teams he faces.

He averaged 6.8 points per game in his rookie year, which means he's raised his scoring average by almost 17 points in three seasons.

"I just wanted to get better," Antetokounmpo said. "It was just hard work and spending a lot of time in the gym."

And he's taken a clear leadership role within the team. He's vocal on the floor and not above good-natured trash talk with his teammates. He's very competitive; he spent 45 minutes after Tuesday's practice playing one-on-one against rookies Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker, along with veterans Michael Beasley and Mirza Teletovic.

The group competitively shot 3-pointers after that. By the time everyone finished, Antetokounmpo and veteran Jason Terry were the last Buck players on the floor.

"He's growing up," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "He loves to play, he loves the competition. He's put in a lot of hard work and he wants to be a leader. That's what makes him special."

If Antetokounmpo has one weakness, it's that he's not proficient from 3-point range, shooting a little less than 30 percent from beyond the arc. So like many teams, the Jazz will try to entice him to shoot the ball from distance. But the Bucks have become a good team this season because Jabari Parker has become an offensive weapon at the other forward spot.

HKPackFan wrote:http://www.sltrib.com/home/4885904-155/utah-jazz-giannis-antetokounmpo-channeled-doubt

The list of NBA draft pundits who regarded Giannis Antetokounmpo as a project is too long for this space.

They called him raw, a guy without much of an overall skill set. They said that he'd take years to mature physically. Fourteen teams, including the Utah Jazz, passed over him in the 2013 draft.

Now one of the top all-around players in the league, the man nicknamed "The Greek Freak" and "Alphabet" will lead the Milwaukee Bucks against the Jazz on Wednesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The kid few believed could become an All-Star has become an All-Star before the natural end of his rookie contract (Antetokounmpo signed an extension last summer).
but I definitely used it as motivation."

The 2013 draft is considered widely to be one of the worst in a generation. Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick out of UNLV, is no longer in the NBA. Michael Carter-Williams, the rookie of the year in that class, is currently a backup point guard with the Chicago Bulls. There are seemingly more busts through the first round than quality starters.

If there was a re-do, Antetokounmpo and Jazz center Rudy Gobert almost certainly would be the top two overall picks. Antetokounmpo went No. 15, Gobert No. 27. The two play against each other twice a year, but they recognize and acknowledge the bond they share.

"He's a special talent," Gobert said. "I like to watch him play, and it's great to see a guy succeed that was underrated. He's a unique player. I kind of like to watch what he's doing from afar."

Antetokounmpo has blossomed into one of the best players in the league. He's averaging 23.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. There are few forwards in the league outside of LeBron James and Kevin Durant who are capable of influencing a game in that many ways.

He has a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 27.20, which is one of the best in the league. He's shooting almost 53 percent from the field.

But the stats don't do his overall impact justice. Antetokounmpo is rare on both ends.

He's one of the most diverse defensive players in the game, blocking two shots and coming up with 1.8 steals a game.

He essentially runs Milwaukee's offense as the point guard but can play anywhere from the point to power forward. That makes him a nightmare matchup for most teams he faces.

He averaged 6.8 points per game in his rookie year, which means he's raised his scoring average by almost 17 points in three seasons.

"I just wanted to get better," Antetokounmpo said. "It was just hard work and spending a lot of time in the gym."

And he's taken a clear leadership role within the team. He's vocal on the floor and not above good-natured trash talk with his teammates. He's very competitive; he spent 45 minutes after Tuesday's practice playing one-on-one against rookies Malcolm Brogdon and Thon Maker, along with veterans Michael Beasley and Mirza Teletovic.

The group competitively shot 3-pointers after that. By the time everyone finished, Antetokounmpo and veteran Jason Terry were the last Buck players on the floor.

"He's growing up," Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. "He loves to play, he loves the competition. He's put in a lot of hard work and he wants to be a leader. That's what makes him special."

If Antetokounmpo has one weakness, it's that he's not proficient from 3-point range, shooting a little less than 30 percent from beyond the arc. So like many teams, the Jazz will try to entice him to shoot the ball from distance. But the Bucks have become a good team this season because Jabari Parker has become an offensive weapon at the other forward spot.

I hope the bold part gave everyone a basketball boner.

HKPackFan wrote:I'm hearing a few tankologists coming out of the woodwork lately.

They don't realize we don't even have a proper tank commander. No Trashquez, no MCW. Henson kept the seat warm for a while, but with his DNPs Kidd doesn't have a true tank commander.

HKPackFan wrote:I'm hearing a few tankologists coming out of the woodwork lately.

They don't realize we don't even have a proper tank commander. No Trashquez, no MCW. Henson kept the seat warm for a while, but with his DNPs Kidd doesn't have a true tank commander.

This team might win only 1 game on this west coast trip, but I still think we end up with 37-42 wins and beyond reach of the tank.

JEIS wrote:

HKPackFan wrote:I'm hearing a few tankologists coming out of the woodwork lately.

They don't realize we don't even have a proper tank commander. No Trashquez, no MCW. Henson kept the seat warm for a while, but with his DNPs Kidd doesn't have a true tank commander.

This team might win only 1 game on this west coast trip, but I still think we end up with 37-42 wins and beyond reach of the tank.

Ha! In Vaughn, Mirza, Henson, Plumlee, and Kidd's Defensive scheme we trust.

Max Green is leading us to the promise land once again!

AussieBuck wrote:I'm back in the grown up world working again so no more live games for me outside of weekends.

AussieBuck wrote:I'm back in the grown up world working again so no more live games for me outside of weekends.

AussieBuck wrote:I'm back in the grown up world working again so no more live games for me outside of weekends.