2 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over Magic

The Utah Jazz were supposed to beat the Orlando Magic last night. Fans of the team should still be glad that they did: they haven’t been winning every game they were supposed to win this season.

A victory is a victory in the National Basketball Association. The Jazz’s 114-99 win over the Orlando Magic is cause for their fans to celebrate.

A prevailing concern with this club is the ability of Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson to co-exist. It’s hard to conclude that they achieved that goal last night, but they did make some progress.

Mitchell wasn’t exactly efficient, scoring 24 points on 6/19 shooting from the field. Regardless, he made up for his inefficiency from the field by getting to the free throw line at will, finishing 9/10 from the charity stripe.

Meanwhile, Clarkson scored 18 points on 6/13 shooting. He was a key contributor down the stretch of the third quarter, when a feisty young Magic team had the Jazz within 4 points. Clarkson fed Udoka Azubuike for two consecutive alley oops before draining a 3 to kill Orlando’s momentum.

The Utah Jazz will eagerly anticipate a stretch of games where both ball-handlers shoot efficiently. In the meantime, here are 2 studs and 1 dud from last night’s contest.

Utah Jazz stud: Hassan Whiteside

Both Udoka Azubuike and Hassan Whiteside have taken advantage of Rudy Gobert’s recent absence to make a statement. Whiteside’s has been particularly loud.

Last night, the veteran big man finished with 15 points, 18 rebounds and 2 blocks. He controlled the interior whether the Magic were playing Mo Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr., or some combination of both.

It feels like Whiteside is finally pairing his unearthly physical gifts with a well-earned understanding of defensive positioning. If he keeps this up, he may not be backing Rudy Gobert up next season.

He may find himself with a starting gig somewhere else.