Utah Jazz dethrone NBA champions in potential Finals preview
Utah Jazz pull out impressive win vs the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks
Utah Jazz fans in the Vivint Arena were treated to a special performance on Wednesday as their beloved Jazzmen suited up for a contest against the NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in the team’s preseason finale. The fact that the Jazz pulled away with a 124-120 victory was icing on the cake.
Like many preseason games, this one felt like a regular season contest before eventually deteriorating into a glorified tryout for each team’s fringe roster players. Still, Utah Jazz fans should be satisfied with a victory here. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo did suit up for 21 minutes in this game, going for 21 points on 9/12 shooting from the field. It wasn’t enough to carry the Milwaukee Bucks to victory.
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert hits impressive shot
Speculation about Gobert’s jump shot has become something of a preseason tradition, but he hit a pretty 16-footer in the first quarter that lit the Utah Jazz fans in the Vivint Arena on fire.
We may want to hold off on the parade, but it’s fair to say the mechanics on this particular jump shot looked a little smoother than those on some of the jumpers we’ve seen the Stifle Tower make in his preseason career. As with any previously-untapped skill, we’ll need to see Gobert make the same shot multiple times before we’re willing to invest significant stock in his ability to do so.
For the time being, it was a fun moment in a fun game, and Utah Jazz fans should be satisfied with that.
Utah Jazz rookie Jared Butler continues to shine
If the Utah Jazz had landed any larger of a steal than Jared Butler in the 2021 NBA Draft, the federal authorities may have gotten involved.
Last night, the Baylor product scored 16 points on 7/12 shooting and handed out 7 assists in 21 minutes. As always, Butler generated offense with a wide range of crafty dribbles and layups, bolstered by smart shot selection. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the Utah Jazz have their fourth guard in Jared Butler.
It wasn’t all sunshine for the rookie, as he commited 4 turnovers in those same 21 minutes and even more interestingly, fouled out. It’s fairly uncommon to see a guard foul out, but Butler was caught reaching on several occasions in attempts to steal the rock. We loved his enthusiasm, but he may need to tone it down in order to stay on the floor for Quin Snyder this season.
After all, it does feel like he’ll be in his rotation.
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All told, Utah Jazz fans should take this preseason victory with a grain of salt. Neither team featured their starters in the fourth quarter, and that’s a telltale sign that they weren’t particularly invested in the outcome. Nonetheless, having ingested that grain of salt, Jazz fans might have no choice but to let themselves enjoy a victory against the reigning NBA champions.