Jazz vs Sixers
Even with yesterday’s loss, the Jazz stayed at least three full games clear of the rest of the National Basketball Association heading into the All-Star break. That they were angling for victory despite the comfortable cushion and with the much-needed respite in the horizon would be an understatement. They didn’t simply want to bounce back from a relatively poor outing against the Pelicans. They wanted to get the better of the Sixers, their pace-setting counterparts in the East. And they could well have done so had they not fallen prey to both outstanding hoops and eminently avoidable mistakes.
Interestingly, the match likewise showcased the unique predilections of the opposing head coaches. Displaying utter confidence in the system that has put the Jazz at the top of league standings, Quin Snyder went with few adjustments in crunchtime. Meanwhile, Doc Rivers saw fit to feed Most Valuable Player candidate Joel Embiid in the post again and again under threat of two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert’s coverage. The irresistible force won over the immovable object, helping the Sixers erase a fivepoint deficit in the final 2:18 of regulation and setting up overtime via a stunning display of talent and presence of mind.
The extra period was much of the same, but, with Embiid gassed, Rivers instead turned to Tobias Harris on the left quartercourt. And, again, Snyder refused to send help as counter to the otherwisepredictable isolation plays. With Bojan Bogdanović on an island, scores came easy for the Sixers. Still, the Jazz’s real problem turned out to be on the other end; under pressure, the egalitarian offense became a stilted mess that resulted in forced one-on-one forays. Worse, the problems were compounded by the glaring inability of supposed leader Donovan Mitchell to keep his composure. Two technical fouls in the final minute of overtime — leading to freebie points and, more importantly, his ejection — did them in.
Significantly, Snyder and Rivers will meet again this weekend, but under lighter circumstances. Both see the All-Star break as a time to recover from the grind of the first half of the season. Prospectively, it should also prep the Jazz and Sixers for the final stretch given their intent to remain top seeds in their respective conferences. Their next meeting, if at all, will be in the Finals, and it’s anybody’s guess as to whether they’ll be exhibiting the same old, same old in light of their immediate past experience.