The Utah Jazz were led by Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward, giving a 48-minute fight to the Golden State Warriors but ultimately fell short, losing 102-91. Now trailing 3-0, they will be facing elimination in the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs in game four on Monday.
The Warriors star players struggled in the first game in Salt Lake City, presumably not because of its lofty nightlife. Stephen Curry could not find his shot (23 points, 6-20 shooting) and Draymond Green was visibly frustrated with foul trouble in the first half, earning his first technical of the postseason after several arguments with the officials. Klay Thompson also struggled with his shot, scoring only six points on 1-9 shooting.
Instead, the Warriors were carried by Kevin Durant’s 38 points and 13 rebounds, with contributions from some of their “others.” Andre Iguodala had an expected strong showing off the bench while JaVale McGee and Zaza Pachulia took turns providing hustle plays at the center position.
The Jazz, meanwhile, were paced by their stars. Rudy Gobert had an especially strong showing, affecting the Warriors’ drives to the rim and playing a big role offensively with his own rolls to the basket. The French big man seemed to have no lingering symptoms of his injury suffered in the first round, finishing the game with 21 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Gobert was aided by Gordon Hayward who despite his poor shooting (29 points on 7-18 shooting made efficient through his free throw attempts) was able to create offense (six assists) for the Jazz and keep them in the game for long stretches.
The Jazz were able to lead for large stretches of the game, especially in the third quarter, despite missing starting point guard George Hill. Behind a boisterous crowd, their defense was able to hold the Warriors to a respectably low scoring total, giving Curry, Thompson, and Green difficulty in getting open shots.
Unfortunately for Utah, there was one other star to take care of and Durant could not be stopped. The forward managed to take on the bulk of the scoring load (while contributing in the rebounding and defense departments) until Curry came alive in the fourth to put the Jazz away. Despite his poor shooting, the Warriors outscored the Jazz by 17 points with Curry on the floor, indicating his effect on the Utah defense.
Despite a strong effort from the Jazz, they just could not stick with the Warriors’ firepower especially in the face of strong defense from the Dubs. There was one star too many on Golden State, and he epitomized Utah’s efforts (and perhaps those of the rest of the NBA) in slowing him down in the closing seconds:
KEVIN DURANT SHRUG IN UTAH pic.twitter.com/4hdg3kk8XX
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 7, 2017
