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The Utah Jazz coaches and players watch a lot of film. They will watch their own games, break them down in intricate ways, and use those sessions to try and improve, individually and as a group.
But it’s not just their own games or those of upcoming opponents that they watch. The team will also watch playoff games, past and present, even when they are not postseason participants themselves. And this last week, the team’s film session included watching the final minutes of the NCAA championship game between Houston and Florida.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy wanted to have the players dissect and discuss late-game execution.
“End-of-game execution, I think, is the part that matters most to me,” Hardy said. “We’ve studied end-of-game all year. We’ve had some good moments. We’ve had some tough moments. But we’ve also watched a lot from around the league, and we watched the end of the national championship game with the team. We’re always trying to learn from the situational parts of the game.”
The players said that they noticed how important it is to know game situation — clock, time, score — and how precious every second is. Understanding those things helps to make decisions like whether to go for a 2-for-1 opportunity or to let the clock run out. It also helps to understand what the bonus situation is and if there is any difference in that for one team versus the other.
They talked about the importance of spacing and how even if you feel rushed, you have to make sure that your team fundamentals are sound and you aren’t forcing things. Brice Sensabaugh noted that in every late-game situation, it seems like the team that wins is the one who is playing the same way they would if it was the first quarter. Keeping your cool is important.
After that film session, the Jazz turned around and pulled out a rare win for the team, which included some necessary late-game execution, considering it was an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I thought the team did a really good job,” Hardy said. “We’re down 3, and instead of fouling right away, we wanted to trap to see if we could force a turnover. And the guys did that. We’ve had a couple instances this year where we’ve accidentally fouled in that situation ... I’m happy for the guys, because they come to work every day, they continue to stick together, and they are showing the ability to learn.”
New with the Jazz
Quote of the week
“I remember how long June (26) was for me, how long of a night that was. I’m not surprised this is where I am now and I’m proud of myself for persevering through that. Because, my dream of walking across that stage was shattered, and I’m never going to be able to get that back.” — Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski
From the archives
Extra points
- Final games are extremely important for Jazz’s non-guaranteed players (Deseret News)
- Was Kyle Filipowski’s career night a glimpse at the future? (Deseret News)
- The trouble with tanking (Deseret News)
- What makes Cooper Flagg so good? (Deseret News)
Around the league
- Nuggets fire coach and GM ahead of playoffs.
- Fans call for Mavs GM job in Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas with Lakers.
- Phoenix Suns eliminated from postseason contention.
Up next
- April 11 | 7:30 p.m. MDT | Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | KJZZ
- April 13 | 1:30 p.m. MDT | Utah Jazz @ Minnesota Timberwolves | KJZZ