Utah Jazz have breathing room, but closing out in Game 5 is important

The Utah Jazz’s 3-1 lead relieves some of the pressure on them for Game 5, but they would still be wise to aim to close out OKC once and for all.

When the Utah Jazz fell in Game 1 of their first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, several fans and casual observers likely asked themselves, “Does this Jazz team have what it takes to compete with a star-studded OKC squad?” Three games later, the answer has been a resounding YES.

Despite falling short in the first game of the series, the Jazz have now rattled off three consecutive victories, two of which (the two home games) came in dominant fashion. As such, the Jazz find themselves with a commanding 3-1 lead and a chance to close out the series in five games on Wednesday night.

However, they’ll be in for a daunting task as the series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5. Although Utah was able to eke out a narrow Game 2 win within Chesapeake Energy Arena, prior to that they hadn’t won there since 2010. Coming into this series, the Jazz were a lowly 2-17 in that building.

And the Thunder will certainly have plenty to fight for, beginning with their pride. They were shown up by the Jazz these past few games, especially in the second half of Game 4, and they’ll surely look to bounce back in front of their home crowd. Russell Westbrook found himself in early foul trouble as he vowed to shut down Ricky Rubio last game, and ultimately his selfish behavior paved the way for several Jazzmen, including Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles, to get hot and will Utah to victory.

Meanwhile, Paul George has almost unarguably been the best Thunder player in the series, but he allowed Ingles to get under his skin, and his failure to keep his composure largely sparked the Jazz while hindering the Thunder.

Then there’s Carmelo Anthony who hasn’t been able to get going whatsoever. He shot just 5-of-18 (27.6 percent) from the field on Monday which included going 0-of-6 from deep. He’s shot just 37.3 percent from the field during the series and a dismal 23.1 percent from deep. Last of all, Steven Adams has struggled with foul trouble throughout the series and hasn’t had nearly the impact he would have wanted.

In short, all of OKC’s stars have a lot to play for on Wednesday, not just to keep their season alive, but to bounce back on an individual level and prove that they can overcome the adversity that Utah has placed in front of them. The Thunder seemingly tried to intimidate the Jazz with their physicality last game, but the plan backfired as instead the Jazz matched and exceeded it, but also maintained their composure to put together a winning effort.

If the Jazz can continue to execute as they have in the past three contests, they should very well be able to come out on top. However, if one or more of OKC’s stars is able to have a big game, much like Westbrook and PG did in Game 1, it could spell trouble for the Jazz.

True, Utah has some breathing room with a 3-1 lead meaning that a loss wouldn’t be the end of the world. In fact, it would actually give them a chance to return home to Vivint Smart Home Arena for Game 6 to attempt to close out the series on their home court.

However, while that wiggle room is a nice commodity, the Jazz absolutely have to go into Game 5 with the unwavering goal of closing the series out for good. All the momentum is in Utah’s favor and, quite frankly, OKC’s backs are against the wall. The last thing the Jazz want to do is slip at all and allow the Thunder to regain confidence to get back in this series.

Yes, it would be hard for them to build enough rhythm to win three straight against a Jazz team that has thoroughly out-played and out-coached them, but why even give them the chance? Utah won three straight, so if the tides of momentum turn, who’s to say that OKC couldn’t match that effort.

Furthermore, with how chippy and physical the series has been, especially Game 4, it would be nice to get this thing over as soon as possible allowing Utah to advance to the next round without injury and feeling prepared to face the winner of the Houston Rockets – Minnesota Timberwolves series (it’s going to be the Rockets, but I thought I’d at least be fair).

Speaking of which, last of all, with Houston looking to close out their series against the Wolves at home on Wednesday night as well, it would do the Jazz well to be able to end their series at the same time. If Houston wins and the Jazz lose, that will just be buying the Rockets extra time to rest up, recover and prepare for the next round, whereas if Utah wins in Game 5, at the very worst they’ll have the same amount of time as the Rockets to prep for their second-round meeting.

So while the Jazz may be tempted to take it easy, take their foot off the gas and enjoy the comfort of a 3-1 lead, they would be wise to push any such thoughts away completely. Luckily, with how competitive they’ve been all series and how smartly they’ve executed, I have a feeling that such won’t be a problem.

As I mentioned in my latest rendition of the Three-Point Threat Podcast, the Oklahoma City Thunder Big 3 looked somewhat downcast and at a loss in their post-game interview following Game 4. Not only that, but they didn’t show any indication that they understood why they had lost three straight games, basically attributing the losses simply to missed shots on their part and made shots on the part of the Jazz.

In reality, that’s far from the whole story as the Jazz have won because they’ve done a much better job of executing their game plan while the Thunder have failed to do as much. With that in mind, I actually like Utah’s chances of coming out and taking care of business to simply seal the deal on Wednesday night.

It won’t be an easy task, that’s for sure. With their backs against the wall, expect the relentless Russell Westbrook and Co. along with an extremely passionate fanbase to give their all to help stir this OKC team to victory. However, it takes more than a loud crowd and individual efforts to win big playoff games, it takes an entire team effort.

And thus far, the Jazz have proven far and above to be more competent in that regard. If that shines through on Wednesday night, I expect yet another nice win for the Jazz.

My Prediction: Jazz 108, Thunder 102

Next: Utah Jazz: No suspension for Westbrook’s altercation w/Gobert

Game 5 tips off Wednesday night at 7:30 PM MT on NBA TV.