Jazz Fall To Warriors Despite Gobert’s Record Setting Night

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz dropped their first game of a five-game road trip with a 131-119 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

The Jazz defense struggled to slow the Warriors’ offensive attack allow Golden State to shoot 56 percent from the floor and 52 percent from three. The Warriors were led by Steph Curry who scored 32 points on 10-20 shooting.

Forward Draymond Green recorded the 26th triple-double of his career with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

The Jazz were led by Rudy Gobert who scored 24 points and grabbed 28 rebounds which matched a franchise-high. The All-Star center also blocked four shots and missed just two of his nine shots in the game.

Rudy Gobert's 27 rebounds ties a franchise high for the @utahjazz.

He's got 23 points, 27 rebounds, and four blocks on 8-9 shooting.

He's been incredible.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 14, 2021

Golden State led by as much as 15, a lead the Jazz trimmed to just one in the fourth quarter, but were never able to retake the advantage.

Bogdanovic Struggles

Bojan Bogdanovic had perhaps his worst game in a Jazz uniform which severely limited the team’s ability to slow the Warriors’ attack.

The Croatian forward had nine points on 2-9 shooting, but connected on just 1-7 three-point attempts, and turned the ball over four times in 27 minutes. The Warriors repeatedly picked Bogdanovic’s pocket when he put the ball on the floor leading to easy layups on the opposite end.

Quin Snyder on changing the @utahjazz closing lineup:

"In this case Joe playing pick and roll, his ability to create some off the dribble. They had Draymond on Donovan, obviously. To be able to get some other guys off the ball, Joe is in there and he was making some plays."

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 14, 2021

As a result of the forward’s struggles, Jazz coach Quin Snyder adjusted his lineup to close the game, keeping guard Joe Ingles in the game over Bogdanovic.

“They had Draymond on Donovan, obviously, “Snyder said. “To be able to get some other guys off the ball, Joe was in there and he was making some plays.”

After a brilliant first season with the Jazz, Bogdanovic has seen his averages drop in points, rebounds, and assists per game. The forward has also seen his averages from the floor and three-point range drop from last season.

Gobert’s Monster Game

Despite the loss, Gobert had one of the best stat lines in franchise history. Gobert became just the seventh player in NBA history to score at least 24 points, grab 27 rebounds, and block four shots.

He’s only the second player in league history to do it while missing two shots or fewer in the process.

Unfortunately for the Jazz, this is the first time in league history a player recorded those numbers only to see his team lose the game.

Rudy Gobert is just the 7th player in NBA history to have 24 points, 28 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a game.

He joins Dikembe Mutombo as the only player to do it with two or fewer misses.

His 28 rebounds are a franchise record for the @utahjazz.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 14, 2021

“I think he’s keeping his focus,” Snyder said. “There are times when Rudy could let what’s happened on one end of the floor impact the other. He has just been much more consistent with that, and when he does that he’s obviously very impactful.”

Despite the performance, Gobert was unimpressed with his stat line.

“I don’t really care, to be honest,” Gobert said. “There’s going to be a lot of nights like this. I thought I could have done a better job defensively.”

The Jazz outscored the Warriors by 11 points in Gobert’s 32 minutes but were -23 when Derrick Favors replaced him in the lineup.

Jazz Get Outshot From Three

For the first time since January 5, they allowed an opponent to win the three-point shooting battle. The Warriors knocked down 16-31 three-point shots while the Jazz made just 15-44.

The Jazz have given up better shooting nights but hadn’t allowed more made threes in 30 games. Considering most team’s top goal is to take threes and prevent their opponent from making threes, the Jazz run has to be considered one of the best in league history.

Nothing better than a birthday three 👏

Play of the Game, presented by @chase pic.twitter.com/lrToAzw3NR

— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) March 14, 2021

The team’s 34 percent three-point percentage was bad against Golden State, though Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale combining to shoot just 2-11 from deep submarined the Jazz chances of winning the game, and keeping their streak alive.

The Jazz can start a new streak Tuesday when they face Boston Celtics on the road.