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Utah Jazz: What went right/wrong in Game 2 vs. OKC

By Jared Woodcox

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 18 - Donovan Mitchell #45 and Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz exchange a hug after Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 18 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Sr./NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 18 - Donovan Mitchell #45 and Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz exchange a hug after Game Two of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 18 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Sr./NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz tries to keep the ball away from Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game One of the Western Conference in the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 15, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Joe Ingles #2 of the Utah Jazz tries to keep the ball away from Paul George #13 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game One of the Western Conference in the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 15, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. /

What went wrong?

Joe Ingles continued to struggle

During the regular season, Joe Ingles solidified himself as one of the most deadly three-point shooters in the league, finishing the year with the fourth highest three-point shooting clip in the NBA of 44 percent. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found offensively on Wednesday night as he went just 1-of-4 from deep (1-of-6 from the field) to finish with just three points.

Part of the reason for his struggles has been how much is being demanded of him defensively as he’s had to spend much of his time attempting to slow Paul George, something he was unable to do in Game 1, but received significant help from his teammates on in Game 2. Because of all the energy he has been expending on defense, it stands to reason that his offense would struggle.

Not only that, but the Oklahoma City Thunder deserve credit for absolutely smothering him on defense as well. While many teams have seemed to overlook Ingles despite his incredible percentages, OKC has refused to fall into that trap. They know how deadly he can be when given open looks from behind the arc and they’ve done everything possible to slow him in the area where he has typically thrived the most.

Particularly Paul George, but other OKC defenders as well, have done a great job of taking Ingles out of the offense entirely. Joe had a decent, albeit disappointing, performance in Game 1 and many fans believed that the Jazz would adjust to make Joe more effective. Unfortunately, if said adjustments were in the plans, they weren’t executed effectively and Ingles had an even worse game.

The good thing about Joe Ingles is that you can guarantee that if his team wins, he’s not concerned about his individual performance. Still, he’s also an important part of this team and surely knows he can be more impactful as well. As Utah looks to capitalize on home court advantage and continue to turn the tide in this series, look for Quin Snyder to find a way to help him shake free of the D and get more involved in Game 3.

Utah survived his poor shooting night on Wednesday, but it surely isn’t something they can be accustomed to if they want to win the series.

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