Despite Being Shorthanded, Utah’s Bench Comes Up Big | Utah Jazz

With Donovan Mitchell back in Salt Lake City nursing a lower left back strain, the Utah Jazz knew they would have to find a way to make up for their star’s absence. 

While many assumed it would take a massive effort to replace Mitchell’s 25.1 points per game, the Jazz had other plans. Rather than trying to make up for what Mitchell brings to the Jazz on offense, Utah elected to get defensive. 

Limiting San Antonio to a rough shooting night on offense, the Jazz overcame a late Spurs push to win 110-104 on Monday night. Not only was it Utah’s fourth win in a row and 12th victory in their last 14 games, but it was also their seventh consecutive win on the road.

“I thought we raised our level with both Hassan (Whiteside) and Rudy (Gobert) switching on some of those drivers,” head coach Quin Snyder said.

San Antonio entered Monday night on a hot streak over the past 15 games. After starting 4-13, they’ve gone 10-5 since — primarily on the strength of the league’s No. 3 offense during that time. 

Unfortunately, they ran into a Utah team that has made significant strides on defense since the start of the season. The Jazz held the Spurs to 45% (45-for-100) from the floor and 33% (10-for-30) from beyond the arc. But most impressively, they out-rebounded San Antonio 55-44, keeping one of the best rebounding teams off the glass.

Trent Forrest was the first man off the bench and made the most of the extended opportunity with Mitchell out. In a season-high 20 minutes, Forrest ran the offense well but made his mark on the defensive end. Using his length and athleticism, he made life difficult for the Spurs guards.

“It’s probably just kind of knowing body angles. … Just somewhat comes natural,” Forrest said of his defense.

“He’s unique defensively with his length and also with his instincts,” Snyder added.

With Utah handling things on defense, the Spurs’ length caused some issues for the Jazz regarding their elite three-point shooting. With San Antonio aggressively closing out on shooters, it was difficult for Utah to get clean looks, and it showed as they shot 29% (9-for-31) from beyond three-point territory.

But inside the arc was a different story.

Utah shot 54.5% in those situations, with Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside doing the most damage with a combined 9-for-13 showing. Jordan Clarkson could get to the rim at will while Joe Ingles was sensational in the pick-and-roll in place of Mitchell.

got him in the air!

(hard shove, @youngwhiteside—) pic.twitter.com/MQrDMXUSLe

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 28, 2021

Clarkson stepped up on offense for the Jazz, finishing with a team-high 23 points in a season-high 32 minutes. He added eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal to finish with a team-high +13 rating. 

But it wasn’t just the numbers he put up that made him special on Monday. It was the way he went about his business. 

With San Antonio extending pressure past the three-point line, Clarkson’s ability to break down his defender, get into the paint, and make the correct play was vital. Sometimes he would finish at the rim, other times he would drop it down to Gobert or Whiteside, or he would find the open man. Regardless, he showed up biggest when the team needed him the most.

| flowers for JC#TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/UgkJKmLM47

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 28, 2021

Utah came out playing well, using an 8-2 run late in the first quarter to lead 34-27 after the first quarter. 

Both defenses shined in the second quarter as neither team scored more than 20 points. San Antonio cut the deficit to four before the Jazz responded with an 11-0 run and eventually led by 10 at the break.

Utah built its lead to 16 in the third quarter before the Spurs went on a late run to make it a single-digit game in the end. 

Hassan block
Ocho dunk #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/9hLM74AsjD

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 28, 2021

Ingles finished with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while Mike Conley added 12 points, six rebounds, and four steals. Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points, while Whiteside finished with 13 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.

Gobert had his 10th consecutive double-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks. He now sits in 50th place for all-time blocks in NBA history.

Legendary @rudygobert27 ‼️‼️‼️ https://t.co/cR26cVPBz5

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) December 28, 2021

Utah now floes to the Pacific Northwest to face Portland on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. MST from the Moda Center.