Three things the Utah Jazz need to prove in Game 5, win or lose

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MAY 6: Clint Capela #15 and Trevor Ariza #1 of the Houston Rockets play defense against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 6, 2018 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Rudy Gobert needs to have a revenge game

We can talk all day about how Clint Capela enjoys a more ideal situation than Rudy Gobert based on the talent surrounding him, the fact that his starting point guard isn’t injured like Rudy’s is and that Utah has left Gobert on an island defensively on several occasions. Nevertheless, even while considering all that, the fact remains that Capela has completely out-played Gobert this series.

That was on full display in Game 4. Capela was a monster on both ends of the floor, causing Gobert to be ineffective and making him look largely lost throughout the night. Capela had just one more point than Gobert (12 compared to 11), but he had five more rebounds (15) and twice as many blocks – six on the evening. Perhaps most telling, Gobert was a game-low minus-27. In short, Capela rendered him useless on both ends of the court.

The good news about that? If anyone knows that he’s been outplayed, it’s Rudy himself. Knowing the kind of competitor Rudy Gobert is, I guarantee that he’s frustrated with how things have gone in the series, particularly with how they went in Game 4. And I fully expect him to come out looking to bounce back and with a major chip on his shoulder.

Rudy Gobert’s -27 tonight... very, very uncharacteristic. He was outplayed pretty significantly by Capela.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) May 7, 2018

In fairness, he needs help from his teammates. He can’t be expected to provide help defense on Harden/Paul, stay on Capela, contest the shot AND rebound all in a single play. The Jazz perimeter defenders need to do a better job of keeping the guards out of the paint. And if they are beat, Gobert’s teammates need to be prepared to have his back on Capela if he’s forced to step out and be the help defender.

While that should happen, regardless of whether it does or not, the fact remains the same. Rudy Gobert needs to up his game on Tuesday. He’s been doubted several times throughout his career and has responded extremely well on several occasions. I’ll feel a lot better about going into Game 6 or going into the offseason if Gobert has a revenge game in Game 5. I’m sure that would be even more the case for Rudy himself.

Gobert knows how good he is and how poorly he’s played this series. That needs to be reversed in Game 5.

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