|
 The Jazz, the NBA's stingiest team since the All-Star break, once
again came up big at that end of the floor on Friday night, stifling
the lowly Philadelphia 76ers for much of the second half en route to
an 89-83 victory.
"We definitely have a defensive mindset and when we handle the
pressure we're really tough to score on," said forward Gordon
Hayward, who had 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists. "We're
learning to play the right way and people have each other's back."
Forward Derrick Favors had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz
(25-36), which won for the eighth time in 11 games. Center Rudy
Gobert chipped in nine points and 15 boards.
Utah shot just 38 percent from the floor, however. The Jazz, which
has allowed just 83 points a game in eight outings since the
All-Star break, limited the 76ers to 36.4-percent accuracy.
That includes 31.8-percent shooting in the second half, when
Philadelphia was outscored 48-41. The 76ers went 5-for-18 in the
pivotal third quarter (27.8 percent), a period in which the Jazz
forged a 23-13 advantage to take the lead for good.
Philadelphia made just nine of its 37 second-half attempts before
dropping in five of its last seven of the night, after Utah built an
82-69 lead with 2:32 left.
"I think that their defense was very good," 76ers coach Brett Brown
said. "I think that we missed a lot of shots that our shooters
normally have a better percentage of making, if you look at what
we've done recently. ... I think it's a combination of giving Utah
credit, and one of those nights."
Guard Isaiah Canaan had 16 points to lead Philadelphia (13-49),
which fell for the eighth time in nine games. Center Nerlens Noel
had 10 points, 11 rebounds and six steals, and forward Thomas
Robinson contributed 11 points and 12 boards off the bench.
Starting guard Jason Richardson missed all 10 of his shots and went
scoreless, however, and reserve forward Robert Covington went
1-for-8 while scoring five points.
"I think they do a good job packing the lane," Noel said of the
Jazz. "They're a pretty long team, pretty good with their rotations
and they communicate, so that's what makes their defense so tough."
The 76ers led 47-41 early in the second half but missed 12 of their
next 15 shots to fuel a 25-8 Utah run, giving the Jazz a 66-55 lead
14 seconds into the fourth quarter. Philadelphia never drew closer
than six after that, and did that only when Canaan nailed a
3-pointer at the buzzer.
"We were sluggish in the beginning of the game," Utah coach Quin
Snyder said. "Our defense kind of got us going, especially in the
third quarter."
That has been the case since the All-Star break. The Jazz inserted
Gobert, a 7-foot-1 Frenchman nicknamed "The Stifle Tower" at center
after Enes Kanter was traded to Oklahoma City, and that has made a
world of difference.
So too has the team's overall concentration on the defensive end.
[to top of second column] |
"There's an awareness," Snyder said. "You can tell it hurts them
when we give up a basket or someone has a breakdown. There's a real
sense that they have each other's backs."
The 76ers reeled off 10 straight points, six by Robinson, to build a
30-21 lead early in the second quarter, only to see the Jazz go up
41-39 later in the period courtesy of an 11-2 spurt featuring two
Gobert dunks.
A 3-pointer by Philadelphia backup forward Jerami Grant with 1:24
left in the period gave the 76ers a 42-41 halftime lead.
Hayward had 12 first-half points to lead the Jazz, who missed eight
of 16 free throws before the break. Reserve guard Ish Smith and
forward Luc Mbah a Moute notched eight points apiece to pace
Philadelphia.
The 76ers extended their lead to 47-41 early in the third quarter,
but the Jazz then took control of the game at the defensive end.
NOTES: 76ers F Jerami Grant left the game in the third quarter with
back spasms and did not return. ... Retired Philadelphia great Allen
Iverson was in attendance. ... F Robert Covington returned for
Philadelphia after missing the two previous games with a bruised
right elbow. ... Jazz coach Quin Snyder said there was "a lot to
take" from Wednesday's 85-84 loss in Boston, a game decided on a
last-second basket by the Celtics' Kelly Olynyk. "I liked how we
played the last couple minutes," Snyder said. "That was a
significant thing in my mind for our team. In the huddle, you got a
sense that our team really thought we were going to win. Whether
it's a play away or a few plays away, I think it is a game that in
spite of the loss will help us." ... Sixers coach Brett Brown once
coached Utah rookie G Dante Exum on the Australian national team and
is impressed by his progress as a defender. "I think his offensive
game is going to come, and his shot will be developed," Brown said,
"and his ability to run a team and that intellect that it takes to
be an NBA point guard will develop. But it's easiest for him now to
play defense because of his gifts physically, and it doesn't
surprise me what he's done."
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
