SALT LAKE CITY — Let's ignore the end of game madness/controversy that's being talked about Thursday night that ended in a 111-110 Jazz loss to the Miami Heat. The defense was terrible, there were four keys players out with injury and Rudy Gobert was held to just six points.
Let's focus on the positive in a game that didn't have many. The Jazz made a season-high 17 3-pointers on 30 attempts.
Joe Johnson and Trey Lyles made four 3-pointers each, Gordon Hayward and Joe Ingles put in three and the three point guards (Dante Exum, Shelvin Mack and Raul Neto) each put in one.
When a team shoots above 50 percent from the 3-point line on 30 shots, it should have an incredibly high probability of winning.
"It's good to make some shots, but ultimately we've got to get some stops," said Jazz head coach Quin Snyder after the game. "Shooting can only take you so far."
True, shooting isn't the only part of the NBA game that teams need proficiency. But, as the old adage goes, you need to score more points than the other team to win. And the only way to score more points is by shooting.
The Jazz were +27 from behind the 3-point line against the Heat and the Jazz were +12 against the Rockets Tuesday night when they made 15.
The thing that's remarkable about the new season-high in 3-pointers made is that two of the Jazz's four best 3-point shooters didn't play. George Hill, shooting 45.6 percent from three, and Rodney Hood, shooting 37.7 percent from three, were both out with injuries.
So, before Thursday, the Jazz were averaging 34.4 percent from beyond the arc on the season, good for 18th in the league. Though, the Jazz are 13th in the league in 3-point attempts per game with 25.7.
It's no secret that Snyder wants his team to take more 3-point shots. It's a more valuable shot than any other on the court. The looks are good and Utah has the personnel to make a lot of outside shots. The question is whether they can put together consistent games of good 3-point shooting and of their elite defense. When they can do that, and with some luck of avoiding that dreaded injury bug, the Jazz will be a dangerous team in the Western Conference.