The J-Notes
Fansided

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: Jerami Grant #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots over Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz 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. 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. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jerami Grant;
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – APRIL 15: Jerami Grant #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots over Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz 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. 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. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jerami Grant; /

Jazz owned the paint

Everyone knows that at times the Utah Jazz offense can go through droughts and sputter somewhat. Despite having a number of talented offensive players, outside of Donovan Mitchell –  who as hard as it is to believe is just a rookie – Utah doesn’t have all that many shot creators that can instantly galvanize the offense, and sometimes this leads to issues.

If you need proof, look no further than the 19-0 scoring run that the Thunder went on in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game. For what felt like an eternity, the Jazz simply could not buy a bucket.

As such, it’s always important that the Jazz find a way to earn themselves easy points in whatever way possible. In Game 2, they did just that by not only dominating the boards as I mentioned earlier, but also by owning the paint on offense where they outscored the Thunder 50-40. With Steven Adams dealing with foul trouble, Jazz bigs Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors were able to take advantage in a big way.

And the 10-point difference in points in the paint turned out to be a key factor that helped the Jazz earn a hard-fought seven-point victory. The Jazz were presumed to have the edge from the three-point line coming into the series. If they can win both the perimeter and the paint, it’s going to be mighty hard for the Thunder to come out on top.

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