Time to adjust with Rubio nursing hamstring injury
The Utah Jazz are getting reacquainted to life without Ricky Rubio.
The veteran point guard missed the first game of the Western Conference semifinal series at Toyota Center on Sunday after suffering a hamstring injury in Utah’s Game 6 victory over Oklahoma City. He is not expected to play in Game 2 on Wednesday and could miss the entire series.
“It’s not like (you) plug someone in there. Everybody’s different,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “We miss him, but that’s part of the season. We’ve had him out before, and we’ve had other guys out.”
Rubio, who is averaging 14 points a game in the playoffs, dealt with soreness in his left hamstring earlier in April and missed some playing time.
Rookie Donovan Mitchell has stepped up to take up some of the slack on offense, averaging 27.4 points a game in the playoffs, but the Jazz offense is most effective when Rubio is running it.
“We have to adjust to some of the things that he gives us, and I don’t think it falls to any one guy,” Snyder said.
Jae Crowder provided some relief against the Rockets in Game 1, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds.
Snyder praised Crowder’s improvement in reading defenses and getting other teammates involved in the offense since being acquired in a trade with Cleveland in February.
“Jae’s evolution within what we’re doing … I think you’re going to continue seeing to improve,” Snyder said. “Any time you’re in a new situation, it takes time to get comfortable. We want him to be aggressive and take good shots.”
Crowder has embraced his new responsibilities and said all of his teammates must bring something extra to overcome Rubio’s absence.
“All guys have to step up, but at the same time, we have a similar offense,” Crowder said. “We just have to be more in tune with getting the ball in the paint. Ricky’s out. That’s a lot of our offense, so (I’m) just trying to be aggressive to give our offense something.”
While Utah is looking to get more out of its offense, it also has been trying to figure out how to slow the Rockets’ attack.
“They made a lot of tough contested shots,” Crowder said. “I give James Harden credit. He made a lot of shots with a hand in his face.
“It’s the course of the game; you can’t get too frustrated with the process. You don’t win the game in the first quarter. You don’t win the game in the first half, so you have to stay the course.”
Synder is a bit more effusive in his praise of Harden, drawing parallels between the Rockets guard and Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
“He’s artistic the way he plays,” Snyder said. “I wouldn’t compare him to any of those guys nor would I compare them to him because every player is a little bit different, but certainly from a productivity standpoint and what he’s doing with their team.”
In trying to defend against Harden, Snyder emphasized the importance of trying to create indecision.
“Whatever you do, a great player is able to adjust,” he said. “Every matchup is a little different, so things that we can do may be different from some things another team will do.”
Crowder refused to say what Utah will do differently in Game 2 after Harden torched the Jazz for 41 points Sunday, but he anticipates a more energized effort from his players.
“I think we’ll be fresher and more engaged with what we have to do to take away what they like to do on both ends of the court,” he said.