Round 1, Game 6: Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks

[Inigo Montoya]

The Jazz find themselves facing an elimination game at home. Mitchell is currently listed as day-to-day, but the game is tomorrow, so there is still time. Even if he won't be able to play, if the Mavs can win two games without Doncic then the Jazz should be able to win one game at home without Mitchell, but we'll see what the situation is tomorrow.

[Rauxcee]

Hate to say it, but it feels like a double digit loss no matter who plays. The Jazz are checked out.

[jazzkid]

Agreed. After the last spectacular showing can't see these guys caring enough to play hard and win.

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[Crunch 99]

I think we have to give some credit to the Dallas defense. In the last post game interview, Mitchell credited Dorian Finney Smith for playing good defense. Dallas fans have been promoting DFS for all NBA defensive team (though I don't see regular season stats that are supportive of All NBA award). Locke also said DFS has been very good on defense and that Jalen Brunson is "manhandling Conley" on both ends of court.

Mitchell is listed as likely green GTD. Given his 38%/19.5% shooting percentages in the series so far, given DM potentially playing at less than 100% and given DFS's good defense, I am worried that another low percentage, high shot attempt game from Donovan could be in the cards. Hopefully, DM gets it going and proves me wrong. I think he will be competing as hard as he can, and not mailing it in.

Clarkson is an efficient 18 ppg on 11.6 fga this series, while getting himself reasonably good looks in the paint. I wouldn't mind seeing Clarkson and some other Jazz players get a few more shot attempts and DM a few less if DM is struggling. If Clarkson starts out getting good looks and connecting in the paint, perhaps try keep feeding him until Dallas proves they can slow him down.

[vryadli]

Clarkson is an efficient 18 ppg on 11.6 fga this series, while getting himself reasonably good looks in the paint. I wouldn't mind seeing Clarkson and some other Jazz players get a few more shot attempts and DM a few less if DM is struggling. If Clarkson starts out hot, perhaps try keep feeding him until Dallas proves they can slow him down.

Problem is that all Jazz games structured and managed as if the main goal of all and everything is to get DM going. If focus some alternative scheme and players it is only to get struggling DM time to get some slack and - doesn't matter how well they worked those are taken out of focus to give DM his next bunch of attempts.

Even if DM is sometimes having good all around game, that approach just kills team efforts and moral. It went consistently year after year (including the trade approach with the almost single goal - properly complement DM features: "just imagine how X will looks with DM)- and now Jazz at last get fully the results of this consistency.

And if you said names: Bird, LeBron, Dunkan, Jordan, Curry, Durant, Malone-Stockton, Antetokounmpo... Mitchell!. you actulally get joke, which is kind of bitter. Doing with player, who is just regular all-star, things that are reasonable only for a score of All-Timers is futile and pitiful thing to watch in a small market team with great traditions.

[FJS]

I hope some fire and at least win this game, but I don't have faith in game 7 if we are able to play it.

[ducler]

Read on Twitter

[AingesBurner]

It’s almost a Greek tragedy, Jazz have a chance to win the game and Conley travels….

[Hoops Addict]

In the last 2 minutes Conley misses and travels.

It was a bad trade to get him, and we gave up a ton....we would have had 2 very good young players.

Big travel at the end......Mitchell should have been handling the ball.

[Rauxcee]

Conley. I knew he was a bad idea. I laugh because what else can I do?

Part of me is relieved I won't have to suffer through another performance in Game 7, but another part of is is so frustrated at just how underwhelming the Jazz were this season.

Freaking, Conley.

[Inigo Montoya]

Time for some major changes

[Inigo Montoya]

I don't want to hear the excuse that we lost in previous playoffs series because Conley was injured ever again.

[Rauxcee]

I don't want to hear the excuse that we lost in previous playoffs series because Conley was injured ever again.

Never thought that was a valid excuse to begin with considering Kawhi was out with injury.

[SoCalJazzFan]

In the last 2 minutes Conley misses and travels.

It was a bad trade to get him, and we gave up a ton....we would have had 2 very good young players.

Big travel at the end......Mitchell should have been handling the ball.

If we're being honest with ourselves, DL would have drafted yet more centers, reached for PGs or traded for yet another PG and then given away even more 2nd rd picks to unload bad draft picks and trades. It was worth a try to get Conley, IMO. It certainly did not work out. It will be interesting to see who are the casualties and what Ainge can pull off this summer.

[Inigo Montoya]

Inside the NBA guys really hammering Snyder's coaching

[Dr Salad Bowl]

I do try to remind myself at these times that, despite the way things ended, we've had a pretty successful run with this crew. I'd rather be in this spot than a lot of other teams.

I also detest the "Ringz or blow it up" polarity that is in the NBA narratives these days, fuelled by the reactionist media cycle to create hyperbole around how bad things are for 29/30 teams.

That said...

I'm not sure I can watch this group again and enjoy it. I know where it's going, and it's not anywhere further than here. With the way it's set up, I struggle to see how it can be incrementally improved... so I'm OK to light the fuse.

Shame too as I feel the West was pretty open this year sans Suns

[Inigo Montoya]

Watch on YouTube

[Crunch 99]

Mitchell finished the series with a strong game. He was efficient on shooting, 23 points on 17 fga; he had 8 rebs and he shared the ball, producing 9 assists. It's a shame his strong effort and unselfish play didn't produce a win.

I've seen a lot of pundits criticize the Jazz for going to Bogey for the last shot, but I thought it was a good call. The opposition loads up their defense on Mitchell in crunch time and then he struggles to hit the shots. Bogey got a wide open look, but missed. Still, Bogey, Gobert, Joe Johnson, and Rudy Gay are the only Jazz players that have hit buzzer beaters in the last five seasons. Bogey has hit two of them, roughly from that same location if I recall correctly. Gay's buzzer beater was when he was playing for San Antonio.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/buzzer-beaters.html

I've been talking about what a steady hand veteran Conley is in crunch time this season, so then he travels and turns the ball over with 5 seconds left in the game and the Jazz down one. He had a weak showing throughout the series, only producing 9.2 ppg on 9.5 fga in 29.1 mpg. And he got pushed around by Brunson. The third highest paid player on the team needs to be better than this.