Utah Jazz-San Antonio Spurs: Can the Jazz top the 34-point beatdown?

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 04: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs walks the sideline in the first half of a NBA game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 4, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 12: Ricky Rubio #3 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball against Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets on January 12, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Push the Pace, and play with a Purpose

First, look for the Jazz to push the pace in San Antonio. Whenever the Jazz have played fast and with a sense of urgency this season, good things have happened. When the Jazz win, they have a pace of nearly 102, and an Offensive Rating of 114 points per 100 possessions.

When they lose, the pace slows down to 99, and the offensive rating drops to 99.5. When the Jazz dominated the Spurs earlier in the week, they had a pace of play at 104 possessions.

Pace of play does not necessarily guarantee good offensive nights. Heck, the Jazz were one of the slowest teams in the league last season, and they obviously won a lot of games. This season, though, the faster pace has led to more wins. So maybe the faster pace is just an indication that they are playing with a higher sense of urgency and engagement, and that is what leads to wins.

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