Things actually went pretty well for Utah last night

Yeah but tbh things didnt go well.

We outrebounded them and that's a strength for them and a weakness for us.

So we straight ripped away their clear advantage.

 

Yeah, I'm encouraged by what I saw in Game 1.

1. The Jazz defensive strategy is fundamentally unsound. When they cut off Harden 90 degrees to his left, he's able to push past the defender and, on his second dribble, collect the ball with his left hand. Which means it's totally irrelevant that they gave him the right side rather than the left. At that point, he has the ball in his left hand and is close enough to float it or lob it.

2. Danuel House is fitting perfectly into our defense and offense. His rotation decisions are astute and quick. He foils plays and draws charges. He shoots smoothly from 3 (even his misses are in such good form that I want him to get the ball again), and he's attacking the basket and dishing like a guard. We'll probably lose him in the offseason. But in the meantime, he's solidifying our D and adding an offensive weapon that overloads our opponents.

3. Some really nice boxing out of Gobert by Capela. When he's not switched out, Clint is executing that assignment with serious commitment.

4. We got no breaks from the referees as the home team. The calls were at best even, and in my view were favorable to the Jazz. The free-throw stats bear that out. It's heartening to see our guys prove that they can win without any sympathy from the refs, particularly since this will be our last series with home court advantage.

 

I wonder why??? Oh yea refs were calling nothing in our favor. Still we won by 32 points.

 

Honest I think that's an old narrative. Harden doesnt need to live at the line anymore. He just does so much other things like floaters n step backs. People think he still need to go 12 14 times to the line

 

Yeah, this series can go a lot more uglier. It actually went well for them last night.

 

By “containing” harden, he rested on the bench for a crazy long time during the third to the point where it was just abnormal.

 

So...all those good things happened and they still lost by 32....yep, that's certainly a positive

 

1. Agreed. Wait until Harden gets a step on them . . and then Euros infront of them forcing them into the running into him foul - CP3 does this well
2. Agreed. He looked shakey for a bit but it seems he is hitting his groove and not overthinking anymore - Honestly. . . I don't think we get him back on Gerald Green money but I think the Rockets will work hard to get him back
3. When Clint is focused he is a monster . . .. .
4. No breaks at all . . .i think the fact that we did not meltdown and crumble means alot. Harden just kind of rolled his eyes and went. . OH ITS THIS KIND OF GAME .. . then the Rockets started skull f*cking the Jazz and the Refs

Rocket River

 

moral victories are the best.

 

LOL....