OKLAHOMA CITY — The Utah Jazz certainly wish that they could have held on for a win on Wednesday night, but there’s not a lot that they would change about how they played — just small things here and there.
“I’m really proud of our team. That was a high-level game on the road at the end of a long trip,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “That is competing at the highest level, and if we can consistently compete like that — as a group, the physicality, the communication, the effort, the toughness — we’re going to get where we want to go."
It was reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that forced the game into overtime with a tough, buzzer-beating jumper and the Oklahoma City Thunder needed all of Gilgeous-Alexander’s nine overtime points to help them finally put the Jazz away, 129-125.
But the loss does not mean that it wasn’t time well spent by the Jazz. In fact, these are the games that are absolutely necessary for the Jazz’s young core.
Hardy contends that the next step is making sure that they are in more games like this, because the only way to learn how to win is through experience, which is what makes Wednesday’s game so important.
Before the game started, Hardy pointed to the fact that after eight days on the road for a four-game trip that there are fatigue concerns, but that it gives the team an opportunity to build trust and find deeper potential.
“Nights like tonight are when you really try to lean into the group and we’re going to try to find combinations that work,” he said. “Sometimes it’s fun when somebody kind of comes out of nowhere a little bit to help you on nights like tonight.”
At the end of regulation and in overtime, there were the usual suspects on the court for the Jazz in Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George, who combined for 54 points on the night. But also on the court were Brice Sensabaugh and rookie Walter Clayton Jr.
As the Jazz keep and eye toward a future that will include intent on winning more games, there is massive value in seeing how different combinations of players react in late-game situations and whether or not some of the young players on the roster can meet the moment. There is also value in adding some relief to players who seem more guaranteed of a future with this Jazz team.
“It’s a good learning moment for Keyonte and for Lauri,” Hardy said. “It takes a lot of energy to get to that point, and then it takes a lot more to have the ball, being picked up full court, and the ball pressure and the physicality that they play with. I thought Walt being a secondary ball handler was really good for us ... I thought Walt was outstanding tonight.”
Clayton will have ample opportunity to prove his mettle with the Jazz because while he brings natural scoring and playmaking to the table, he also offers a grit on defense that the Jazz are desperately lacking in their backcourt.
While his minutes weren’t without flaw on Wednesday, it’s easy to say that the Jazz wouldn’t have been in a leading position near the end of regulation or been able to play so close with the Thunder had it not been for how aggressive Clayton played on both sides of the ball.
“When we go out there on the floor together, I tell him all the time, we should let it fly,” George said of Clayton. “I don’t got to be the point guard, like we just play off each other...He has the ability to score at all three levels, can pass the (expletive) out of the ball, he’s got a lot of things to him. So I’ve just been staying on him about being confident, because when you can be dynamic guard in this league, then you give Will the chance to throw out different lineups.”
So in the end, this was a loss for the Jazz (which if we’re being honest is what’s best when it comes to standings and lottery ball numbers), but it was the kind of loss against the kind of team that is invaluable for a young team.
This game gives the Jazz a lot of data to look back on and some great film to watch. But maybe most importantly is that is inspires confidence in the young core of the team, that they are able to compete against the most elite talent in the league and that when they are locked in and focused on all the right things, they are not players that can be looked over or counted out.