Utah Jazz vs. Maccabi Haifa: Keys to the Game

Key #1 – Don’t Get Complacent

The Utah Jazz came out guns blazing against the Sydney Kings on Monday as they started the night up 7-0 and would end the first quarter with a dominant lead of 35-16. At that point, it looked like the Jazz were going to run away with it and win in overwhelming fashion. However, although they still won quite handily, particularly once the second unit came into the game the Jazz seemed to relax too much and their complacency was quite costly.

The Kings went on to outplay the Jazz in nearly every facet in what was a dismal second quarter which saw the Jazz get outscored 31-23. Giving up over 30 points in a quarter is never a recipe for success, especially against a non-NBA team, and it certainly was uncharacteristic for Utah’s typically staunch defense.

Therefore, as Utah looks to control the game against Maccabi on Wednesday, it will be absolutely vital that they avoid any lapses in production where they either tone down the intensity too much or get too overconfident in a seemingly big lead. Once the Kings got a little bit of momentum, they were able to play with much greater confidence and for a while made the game closer than it should have been.

If the Jazz make the same mistake with Maccabi, their handful of talented players, which includes former NBA standout Josh Smith, could very well make them pay. Part of the benefit to the preseason is to use it to start forming habits that will carry over into the regular season, thus it’s important that the Jazz get accustomed to avoiding complacency like the plague anyway.

If they can diminish their lulls and stay focused for all 48 minutes, they should run away with an easy victory.