During the game, Coach Snyder was messing with him, trying to get him to go at me. – Rodney Hood
LOS ANGELES — Two Utah Jazz players had two completely different experiences while going against Kobe Bryant in Anaheim on Thursday night.
For Rodney Hood, it was an honor.
For Gordon Hayward, it was a testament of how far along he’s come over the past four years.
Bryant ended up scoring a game-high 27 points, but the returning superstar was 10 of 23 from the field and didn’t get much help from his teammates in a 119-86 blowout loss to the Jazz.
Hood met Bryant while playing for Duke last season, but this was his first time to get matched against the 36-year-old.
“It was cool, him being one of the best players of all-time,” Hood said. “It was cool just to get the chance to have that experience. You look up to a person for so long and then you get a chance to play against him.”
Hood even found it funny that his coach, Quin Snyder, tried to sic Bryant on him late in the game by yelling from the Jazz sideline to the Lakers star, “Young fella. Go get him!"
“During the game, Coach Snyder was messing with him, trying to get him to go at me,” Hood said of the Jazz’s new bench boss who developed a relationship with Bryant as a Lakers assistant in 2012.
Hood said Bryant chatted with him at times during Thursday’s game, something that could happen again Sunday night when the two teams play again at Staples Center.
“He was giving me little pointers: just listen, keep working hard and things like that,” Hood said.
Bryant spent most of the night going at it with Hayward, who has packed on quite a bit of muscle since the two first got matched against each other in 2010. It was clear to see that the Jazz player is much more physical against Bryant than he used to be.
“It’s a great experience for him, just to play a guy that just knows how to play, knows how to score,” Snyder said. “He’ll make you make a mistake. You’ve got to guard him a number of different times in one possession. I thought Gordon did a good job.”
Snyder pointed out that Hayward fouled Bryant a couple of times, but added that he can build on that defensive performance.
“He’s a tough player. He seeks for contact, so it makes it difficult guarding him. It’s fun, though, to go against a guy like that,” Hayward said. “Though it’s preseason, I need all the reps I can get. I can watch the film, see what I did well against him, see what I need to improve on. He’s a tough guard.”
Hayward admitted it’s hard to guard Bryant without fouling him, even noting that the Lakers’ standout got to the line 13 times Thursday.
“I’m a little bit stronger, so I don’t think he pushes me around as easily,” Hayward added. “Just being able to have the experience guarding him is huge, because he’s really crafty and he’s really sneaky. You’ve got to be able to stay down on his fakes and try to not foul him, which is tough to do.”
NOTES: Snyder on finishing Friday’s 101-97 loss with backup center Rudy Gobert and starting big Derrick Favors on the court together. “That’s a combination we haven’t used as much. It made sense tonight,” he said. “We’re going to look like a different team at times from game to game and try to figure out who we are.” … Rookie point guard Dante Exum showed vast improvement from Monday’s eight-turnover outing against the Clips to the error-free game Friday. He also had nine points, two assists and two steals. “He had a really good game,” Snyder said of Exum, who also didn’t have a turnover against the Lakers on Thursday. … Jazz guard Alec Burks is listed as a game-time decision for Sunday’s 7:30 p.m. MDT tipoff against the Lakers. He’s missed the past three games with a left shoulder contusion. … Utah PF Trevor Booker (right ankle sprain) is doubtful to play.
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