Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, left, shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill, AP
Sarah Todd
By Sarah Todd
Sarah Todd covers the NBA and Utah Jazz for the Deseret News.

LOS ANGELES — It was just two days ago that the prominent conversation was about how the Utah Jazz have trouble controlling fourth quarters. 

“We were a different team tonight,” head coach Quin Snyder said after a 120-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

It did not look good from the jump. The Clippers opened things up by grabbing 10 offensive rebounds in the first quarter. It was exactly what the Jazz had been worried about. It had hurt them in their last game against the Clippers, and it was happening again.

In addition to struggling to keep things under control on the glass, Rudy Gobert was having trouble finishing. It could have been a perfect storm if not for the turnaround.

“The biggest part was myself and physicality,” Gobert said. “I wasn’t locked in the first quarter, especially on the defensive rebounds.”

The fourth quarter told a completely different story. This one was of a team committed to keeping the Clippers off the glass, not letting them have any easy shots, and making sure that they made the right moves and the right reads.

“It was the best quarter of basketball that we’ve played defensively,” Gobert said.

“It can’t just be one game. It can’t just be tonight. We’ve got to do it against Detroit and continue on.” — Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell

The Clippers did not hit a field goal through the last 4-and-a-half minutes of the game and grabbed just three rebounds. It is a game that the Jazz can go back and look at when they want to know what it looks like when you play the fourth quarter like a team that wants to win. 

“Anytime you close you close and play that way it’s something to build on,” Snyder said.

Even outside of the fourth quarter play though, there are lessons to be learned.

For Donovan Mitchell, who finished the night with 30 points and controlled the pace and tone of the fourth quarter, the lesson is that the mentality can’t only be at the proper level when they are going against the better teams.

“It can’t just be one game,” Mitchell said. “It can’t just be tonight. We’ve got to do it against Detroit and continue on.”

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, front left, shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, behind Leonard, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson gestures after scoring during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, left, shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, right, tries to drive by Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, shoots as Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, left, and guard Patrick Beverley defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac celebrates during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, center, gestures after scoring during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell goes up for a dunk as Los Angeles Clippers forward JaMychal Green defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, left, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers yells to referees during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, defends against Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, shoots as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George, left, shoots as Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Actor Martin Lawrence watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George drives toward the basket during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Jazz won 120-107. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) | Mark J. Terrill, AP

Mitchell is talking about the slew of games the Jazz have coming up that no one has circled on their calendar as must-see TV. The Pistons, Bulls, Magic, Pelicans, Knicks, Hornets and Wizards are teams the Jazz are supposed to beat, and making sure the Jazz don’t pay attention to that label is what Mitchell sees as the next hurdle.

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“It’s all a mindset, appropriate fear,” he said. “There are teams that we could look at and say, ‘Oh we’re supposed to beat them,’ but they’re NBA players and they’re talented and we’ve got to be able to stay locked in and not just do it against the Clippers.”

Losses to the Kings, Grizzlies and Timberwolves this season can easily be seen as games that the Jazz were supposed to win. It’s a sign of maturity and leadership that early in the season, even with a 20-12 record, the Jazz’s leading man is recognizing a flaw that he thinks can be remedied.

“Progress is not linear and there are going to be bumps in the road but we’re doing a good job right now,” Mitchell said.

The road continues Monday at home against the 12-21 Detroit Pistons, a team that the Jazz are absolutely supposed to beat.

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