Utah Jazz: Raul Neto has breakthrough game in Sac-Town
By Josh Padmore
The Utah Jazz got a big boost from their third-string point guard, Raul Neto, in route to a blowout victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.
When Raul Neto plays, he can be effective and make an impact for the Utah Jazz. The problem is that he hasn’t been healthy. Utah’s bout with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday was just his third game back after dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the first 16 games of the season.
It was by far his best effort to date.
Overall, Neto’s stat line probably wouldn’t cause casual NBA fans to raise an eyebrow. However, for those who pay deep attention to the game, it’s clear what kind of impact he had against Sacramento. Neto scored nine points, made a 3-pointer, handed out five assists and grabbed three boards in the contest.
More importantly, the Jazz outscored the Kings by 16 in the 18 minutes he played.
Neto’s pesky defense, unselfishness, pace-of-play and 3-point shooting was definitely missed by the Jazz during the 2018-19 campaign’s opening weeks. Now, with the 26-year-old finally active, it gives the Jazz a good option to go to if one of their starting guards is struggling or, like Sunday night, are injured.
Despite his lack of size, Neto gives the Jazz versatility, too. Starter Royce O’Neale played just 15 minutes in the win over Sacramento. Some of those minutes went to Neto, who played off the ball at times, which works because he’s a career 38-percent shooter from long range.
Hopefully, this game was a stepping stone for Neto, who showed his value during the win. He doesn’t have time to rest on his laurels or pat himself on the back for his performance, though, because the Jazz will be back at it against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
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Pacers’ star Victor Oladipo is expected to miss another game vs. Utah, but it’s unclear whether or not Donovan Mitchell will play. In any case, Neto will undoubtedly be ready to help fill the void.
Tip-off for the Jazz-Pacers affair is at 7:00 PM MT.