Jazz Move To 13-3 On Road With Win Over Pelicans

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz earned their 13th road win of the season, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 115-104. With the victory, the Jazz pulled even with the Brooklyn Nets for the best road record in the league at 13-3.

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter to prevent New Orleans from stringing together a late-game comeback.

Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 25 points, but it wasn’t enough to halt the Jazz nine-game road winning streak.

Donovan Mitchell scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead the @utahjazz over the @pelicans. #TakeNote https://t.co/gMJBABJxdb

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2022

Quin Snyder Unhappy With Jazz Early Effort

It wasn’t difficult to recognize Quin Snyder’s frustration throughout the night and that carried over into his postgame comments about his team’s effort early in the game.

The Jazz were slow out of the gate in New Orleans, managing just 52 first-half points despite significantly outshooting the Pelicans in the opening periods.

Bojan Bogdanovic notably had a tough first half, scoring just three points on 1-6 shooting, but worse than his shooting, the forward failed to grab a rebound or record an assist.

“We just have to understand it’s going to be hard for Mike Conley to get a rebound with Valanciunas, it’s gonna be hard for Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell to get a rebound against Valanciunas,” Snyder said. “But if Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell and Bojan fight Valanciunas we’ve got a chance to get a rebound.”

GIVE EM 2+1

📺: @BallySportsNO
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/VtpXe4zAxO

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 4, 2022

Bogdanovic was noticeably more engaged in the second half knocking down 7-11 attempts from the floor while grabbing three rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor.

The forward isn’t a great rebounder naturally, but when he offers more effort it makes it easier for his teammates to finish defensive possessions.

But Bogdanovic wasn’t the Jazz only guilty party early against the Pelicans.

Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay, and Jordan Clarkson combined to grab just two rebounds in 35 first half minutes while allowing the Pelicans easy looks at the rim offensively.

“When Rudy [Gobert] is not in there, he can’t cover up our mistakes,” Snyder said frustratedly. “But I think part of our growth as a team is those guys that are on the perimeter — we just need to be determined to stay in front no matter who’s on the court.”

Seemed like a pretty frustrating night from Quin Snyder from pregame issues with our zoom call, to some challenges he wasn't thrilled with, to his thoughts on his team's effort early in the game.

He wasn't thrilled with a lot of the evening despite the win.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 4, 2022

Perimeter defense has been an issue for the Jazz for several seasons but has been at the forefront of the narrative surrounding the team after giving up big performances to Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors in their last two games.

It certainly wasn’t a bad defensive effort from the Jazz entirely after they held Brandon Ingram to just 10 points on 3-18 shooting, but offensively, the Jazz had issues as well.

“We weren’t running and we weren’t connected,” Snyder said. “It makes it hard for us to generate shots. We kind of walk into pick and roll and then try to make something happen and pretty soon we’re up against the shot clock.”

The Jazz finished with 19 made threes, nine of which came in the first half, but the offense was otherwise bogged down as the team struggled to find energy.

Despite the win, it was clear Snyder wants to see better focus from his team throughout the game, and that will be worth watching over their next four road games.

The Science Of The Ankle Breaker

Mitchell didn’t have his best game of the season (though his fourth quarter was inarguably terrific), but he may have had his most highlight-worthy performance against the Pelicans.

The All-Star guard didn’t record a dunk but had two different ankle-breaking moments sending both Herb Jones and Josh Hart sprawling to the floor with incredible dribble moves, and another jaw-dropping pass for a Mike Conley three.

🕷 throws a beautiful pass

🏔🎙 follows it up with another triple#TakeNote #UTAvsNOP https://t.co/gYCs9BbHsI

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2022

After the game, Mitchell gave some unique insight on how he’s become one of the best ankle-breakers in the NBA.

“I’m a dominant right [hand] driver, it’s no secret, but if you try to cut me off that’s where I get to the pullback,” Mitchell said. “If you don’t cut me off, I’m getting to the rim.”

From there, Mitchell has evolved into an elite finisher this season, upping his field goal percentage from 60 percent last season at the rim to 71 percent this year.

Spida put ‘em on ⛸s 😬#TakeNote #UTAvsNOPhttps://t.co/vhA3Yv0y4t

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2022

“Teams don’t want me to get to the rim so they’re determined to get back in front, which allows me to get to those moves,” Mitchell said of his crossover. “Where they’re trying to take away my right hand which allows me to kind of go behind my back and get to my left.”

Mitchell began his career as a high flyer which made him a dunk contest champion and helped earn him a personalized shoe deal with Adidas, but his ability to dominate games with his ball-handling has done far more to unlock his offensive potential will be the reason he finds himself in the MVP race, even as soon as this season.

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