The J-Notes
Fansided

Utah Jazz: Five most gut-wrenching moments of the past 365 days

By Jared Woodcox

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 06: Jae Crowder #99 of the Utah Jazz reacts on the bench as the Houston Rockets beat the Jazz 100-87 in Game Four of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 6, 2018 in 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MAY 06: Jae Crowder #99 of the Utah Jazz reacts on the bench as the Houston Rockets beat the Jazz 100-87 in Game Four of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 6, 2018 in 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. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MAY 04: Injured player Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz watches from the bench in the second half during Game Three of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 4, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rockets beat the Jazz 113-92. 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 Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MAY 04: Injured player Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz watches from the bench in the second half during Game Three of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Vivint Smart Home Arena on May 4, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rockets beat the Jazz 113-92. 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 Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

No. 3 – Rubio gets hurt in playoffs (then Dante, then Donovan)

By and large, things had been going so well for the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Thanks to their superb play, they earned an elimination game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home court. The Jazz had dominated at home up to that point in the series, so their chances of doing so once again seemed great.

Then, in the first quarter of a crucial Game 6, Ricky Rubio left the game with a hamstring injury. He would not return.

Thankfully, the Jazz used a huge third quarter to defeat the Thunder in Rubio’s absence and advance to the second round. For the moment, Rubio’s hamstring injury appeared to be a bullet dodged.

But then the severity of the injury was announced and it was clear that Rubio would miss time in the series against Houston. There was hope that Rubio could make a return if the series stretched on long enough, but in the end the Jazz lost in five games and Ricky never saw the court in the second round.

His absence throughout those games was about as gut-wrenching a situation as they come. The Jazz overall played extremely well against the Rockets, especially defensively, but they were never able to get their offense going to a degree where they had enough firepower to outscore Houston. Donovan Mitchell struggled to run the point at times and it was clear as day throughout the series how badly the Jazz needed Rubio’s floor general abilities in order to thrive.

His inability to play in the series left an enormous feeling of “what if” among Jazz fans. If Rubio had been healthy and Utah’s offense would have been able to come closer to matching the power of their defense, could they have pushed Houston even further? We will never know. And that certainly hurts.

To make matters worse, in Game 4 against the Rockets, Dante Exum suffered a hamstring injury of his own, causing him to miss the remainder of the game and series as well. With both Rubio and Exum sidelined, Utah’s chances at success appeared bleak at best. But the Jazz didn’t quit. Particularly Donovan Mitchell who put up one of the most amazing third quarters of all time in Game 5 with a 22-point outpouring.

But unfortunately, shortly thereafter in the fourth quarter, Mitchell was forced to leave the game with injury. At that point, with Rubio and Exum already out and Utah’s apparent savior Donovan Mitchell leaving the game, any hopes of winning were dashed. The combination of those three injuries made for a tough way to end the season and a devastating gut punch to Jazz fans.

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