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Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21

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Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#1 » by Jamaaliver » Thu Mar 21, 2019 1:22 pm

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Jazz defense looks to clamp down on Hawks' improved offense

The Utah Jazz, currently playing some of the best defense in the NBA, will try to maintain that trend on Thursday when they continue their long road trip in Atlanta against a Hawks team that has be reborn offensively since the All-Star break.

The Jazz (42-29) have held opponents to fewer than 100 points in four of the last six games. Atlanta (24-48) ranks second in the league in scoring (119.5 points) since the break. The defense has been crucial for the Jazz, who have won five straight after Wednesday's 137-116 road victory over the New York Knicks.

Utah is led offensively by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 30 points in the win over the Knicks and is averaging 23.6 points on the season. Rudy Gobert scored 25 in the Jazz's first meeting against the Hawks; he averages 15.4 points and 13 rebounds and is second in the NBA with 56 double-doubles.

Atlanta will be trying to break a three-game losing streak. The Hawks have fallen into a rut of starting slow, getting behind early and trying to dig out of a hole.

This is the final meeting between the two teams this season. Utah won the first game 128-112 on Feb. 1 in Salt Lake City.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#2 » by IheartTHEhurt » Thu Mar 21, 2019 2:09 pm

Time to engage full blown tank mode

Ta ta ta Taaaaaaaaaank!!!

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#3 » by ducler » Thu Mar 21, 2019 8:04 pm

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#4 » by HMFFL » Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:51 pm

Utah is a 7.5 point favorite.
I'm going to the game tonight.

GO Hawks!!

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#5 » by DirtybirdGA » Thu Mar 21, 2019 10:09 pm

Enjoy hmffl.
Where the offseason has more buzz happens.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#6 » by peoriabird » Thu Mar 21, 2019 10:57 pm

HMFFL wrote:Utah is a 7.5 point favorite.
I'm going to the game tonight.

GO Hawks!!

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Are you going because Utah is 7.5 point favorite?
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#7 » by lethalweapon3 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:02 pm

The Utah Jazz just flew into Atlanta from New York City last night. Will their arms be tired? The Hawks are about to find out (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL).

The host Hawks enter today’s game pretty much locked into a 12-seed spot in the East Region. Out West, meanwhile, the Jazz are showing signs they’re not satisfied with becoming a 5-seed again. They were 5-seeds that pulled off upsets to reach their conference’s Final Fours in 2017 and 2018, but now they’d like to go a little deeper in the bracket.

Coach Quin Snyder’s crew hopes to match its season-high with a sixth-straight win tonight, one evening after making quick work of the nyuk-nyuk Knicks at MSG with a 137-116 victory. Utah last won back-to-back games to start this winning streak a week ago. Not long after the Fanboygate loss to OKC, the Jazz took care of the Suns in Phoenix by 17 points, then returned to SLC the next day to beat the Wolves by 20.

Each of Utah’s last five wins have come by 16 points or more. And if the steam-rolling theme continues today, the Jazz (42-29, 2.0 games behind 4-seed Portland) may not hit any sour notes for a while. Following this game, Utah’s upcoming schedule includes a trip to Chicago before a homestand that features the Suns, Lakers, Wizards and Hornets. Then, it’s at Phoenix, again, home against the Kings, and at the Lakers.

It’s not until the final two contests, at home against the Nuggets, then back at Staples to close out with the Clippers, that the Jazz (NBA-best +8.2 Net Rating post-All-Star-Break) will have to deal with a probable playoff opponent. With all due respect to the fellow lottery clubs, Utah may not find a more formidable foe to outrun during the next couple weeks than the one they visit tonight.

The Hawks are going through a rough stretch of late, although it’s nothing that compares to their struggles earlier in the season. A fourth-straight defeat for Atlanta would be the first since December 5, a skid that preceded ten-game and four-game losing streaks that began back in November and October, respectively.

Coach Lloyd Pierce would love to have better depth upfront to keep opponents like Houston’s Clint Capela (11-for-13 FGs @ ATL on Tuesday), Rudy Gobert (7-for-7 FGs, 11-for-15 FTs vs. ATL on Feb. 1), and Philly’s Joel Embiid from feeling unencumbered in the paint. Unfortunately, the sprained ankles of Omari Spellman and Alex Poythress, and the mystery knee of Miles Plumlee, won’t cooperate. Dewayne Dedmon and reserve Alex Len have found themselves increasingly overwhelmed.

Atlanta has won the paint-points battle in each of their past three losses (48-46 at Boston, 50-36 at Orlando, 44-38 against the Rockets). But the edges for the Hawks have been mostly a function of Trae Young’s floater game, not so much the frontcourt complements around John Collins. And the advantages have been offset by opponents getting all-they-can-eat at the free throw line.

The Celtics made more freebies (28-for-37 FTs last Saturday) than the Hawks took (19-for-24 FTs). Atlanta’s ten attempts the next evening (7-for-10 FTs on Sunday) were more than tripled by the Magic (26-for-33 FTs). The Rockets (22-for-30 FTs) were bound to loft more free throw shots than the Hawks (12-for-15 FTs) on Tuesday, even had James Harden (11-for-12 FTs) found himself load-managed.

Dedmon (9.7 D-Rebs per game) has shot just 30.0 FG% in the past three contests. After enjoying a recent splurge while filling in for Dedmon, Len’s production (7.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG last three games) has waned as well. Finding more plays for them inside can help draw opposing bigs away from Atlanta’s bigger (not necessarily in size) scoring threats.

Despite the discrepancies Atlanta’s opponents enjoy, the Jazz sure hope outcomes of games like these don’t come down to free throw accuracy. On the season, Utah shoots a mere 73.3 percent as a team (26th in NBA), and they haven’t improved in the past month (73.1 team FT% post-Break).

It’s not a matter of teams resorting to Hack-a-Gobert (63.8 FT%, down from last year’s career-best 68.2%). Joe Ingles comes in at a 71.2% clip, Jae Crowder 70.1, Derrick Favors at 68.1. Ricky Rubio and Kyle Korver can only do so much, as Snyder lacks big-man options on the floor to make opponents pay from the line late in a close game.

The marksmanship has been just marginally better in fourth quarters (74.6 FT%), so it’s a good thing the Jazz (22-1 when shooting above 50 FG%) have been able to put opponents away early so far with scintillating shots from the field.

Timberwolves fans waited patiently through six seasons of Rubio, in hopes their young wizard would round out his offensive game to a level Young (28 points, 5-for-10 3FGs, 9 assists and 2 TOs @ UTA) has already ascended. Now a grizzled veteran with the Jazz, Rubio (career 38.6 FG%, 39.5 FG% this season) has established himself as a ball-hawking defender (3.1 career steal%, 3rd in NBA as per bball-ref). But he and Raul Neto (Dante Exum’s out for the season, again) will need constant help, likely from Thabo Sefolosha and Ingles, to slow Young’s pick-and-roll.

Rubio will also have to make buckets himself (22 points, 8-for-10 FTs, 11 assists vs. ATL in February), in the event Spida Mitchell (7-for-18 FGs vs. ATL) has another subpar field day. Much like the Hawks as a team, Mitchell (Western player of the week during the first week of March; 28.0 PPG and 46.4 FG% post-Break) isn’t going through the same persistent struggles he endured earlier in his sophomore campaign, and his rise is commensurate with Utah’s.

“I just needed to continue the work and trust the work that I was putting in,” Mitchell confided to HoopsHype in a recent interview praising Jazz staff and teammates, “focusing on the work and how I could further my development and [recently], it’s been paying off.”

Regrettably, I’d have more to share here, but Ja Morant keeps on distracting me. I trust the same will be the case at The Farm tonight. Empty seats when Utah’s in town mid-week has long been the norm. But with low-seeds like Murray State playing like a Southeast Division contender, don’t be surprised to find fans who made it to the game on the hunt for a working HDTV screen.


Go GSU tomorrow! And, Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#8 » by lethalweapon3 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:04 pm

If you were planning on sneaking into town late from OTP to catch this one, we will see you sometime during the second half.

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#9 » by lethalweapon3 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:09 pm

Not sure how Atlanta never Metropolitan Parkway'd Cleveland, but I'm glad we didn't.

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#10 » by jayu70 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:18 pm

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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#11 » by Spud2nique » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:36 pm

Nice preview lw3, I was just about to post “looks like no preview as lw3 been Ja-dropped!” :lol: Hey, I’m doing my best here. I’m gonna scadadel now to the draft thread to apologize to Morant folks! Yikes! I’m just worried for the kids out there with upcoming knee issues trying to stop on a Ja dime.

Go Hawks!!!

Ps We can afford a couple wins here, just saying.

GAMETIME KIDS!!!
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#12 » by benhillboy » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:39 pm

Damn the Jazz might close out the season 10-0. Joe Ingles is the anti-Taurean, I suspect he has a very healthy +/- tonight.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#13 » by benhillboy » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:52 pm

I see you Taurean. I’ll lay off the bashing for a quarter lol.

I respect Rubio as a defender and handler but I never understood the hype around dude. Career .431 efg? And Trae just killed him with a slick dribble lol.

I’m pretty sure Kyle got a tribute video with the Cavs. Either way he can have another. It’s Threezus.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#14 » by benhillboy » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:56 pm

Is it me or does Donovan Mitchell not fit with the Jazz? They already struggle to score, don’t need his 3 turnovers to 4 assists. 32% usage with a .078 ws/48 ain’t it.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#15 » by Hazer » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:59 pm

Spud2nique wrote:Nice preview lw3, I was just about to post “looks like no preview as lw3 been Ja-dropped!” :lol: Hey, I’m doing my best here. I’m gonna scadadel now to the draft thread to apologize to Morant folks! Yikes! I’m just worried for the kids out there with upcoming knee issues trying to stop on a Ja dime.

Go Hawks!!!

Ps We can afford a couple wins here, just saying.

GAMETIME KIDS!!!

PSS: we’re only 3.5 ahead of DAAAAAA Bullsss and 4th is obtainable. Jazz it up!
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#16 » by benhillboy » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:06 am

Vince is actually defending great for his age. That man Reference page look like an ancient sea scroll. 1999-2019 look like someone’s lifespan.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#17 » by peoriabird » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:07 am

The Hawks are a different team when Taurean Prince hits his open shots
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#18 » by Spud2nique » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:08 am

That fan just said Vince Carter has played 7 career games in the NBA...

:roll: wow..

Rubio and Trae might fight tonight just sayin.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#19 » by Hazer » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:10 am

peoriabird wrote:The Hawks are a different team when Taurean Prince hits his open shots

Won’t last, don’t get comfortable.
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Re: Game Thread: Hawks vs Jazz -- 3/21 

Post#20 » by benhillboy » Fri Mar 22, 2019 12:13 am

I’m here for the White-on-White violence of Ingles and Kevin. Good matchup.

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