Hot Jazz go 2-0 after All-Star break with win over San Antonio


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SALT LAKE CITY — When Gregg Popovich took over as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, he wanted his franchise to become the Utah Jazz.

He wanted Utah’s toughness and commitment; he wanted players who would anchor the franchise through years and years of success. Popovich received all of his greatest wishes, and has led the Spurs to five NBA titles.

As the Spurs have grown in success, the team’s disciples have spread all over the league. Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey has a long-standing history with the Spurs organization, and Jazz coach Quin Snyder and assistant Brad Jones coached San Antonio’s D-League affiliate.

Just as the Spurs tried to become the Jazz, the Jazz are trying to become the Spurs. The apprentice is catching up to the master, and it showed Wednesday as Utah dominated San Antonio defensively, picking up a 90-81 win.

The Jazz held the Spurs to 40.5 percent shooting (32-of-79), and they made just 5-of-19 3-point shots.

#UJ

Jazz center Rudy Gobert finished the night with seven points and 14 rebounds and also added three blocked shots. Social media sites erupted with pro-Gobert posts, but Snyder attributed Utah’s defensive improvement to a team effort.

“Rudy’s been very good, and it has an impact,” he said. “But Dante Exum was terrific in pick-and-roll defense, Elijah (Millsap), Gordon (Hayward) had a stint tonight. Everybody’s trying to do their part, and when someone (like Gobert) is protecting (the paint), it gives you energy, responsibility and kind of a sense of duty to do your job.”

While Gobert may have shined defensively, it was backup point guard Trey Burke who shined offensively. Burke finished with a game-high 23 points off the bench and said his play after the All-Star break is built on aggressiveness.

“I think I’m just getting better,” he said. “(The coaches) working with me every day after practice, shooting floaters, getting extra reps. I’m just getting more comfortable and trying to just play my game and make plays for the team.”

Snyder said Burke’s strong play is a testament to his strong work in practice and player-development purposes.

“He’s been working daily, very hard, on his in-between game and his finishing,” he said. “He’s very skilled, and he’s talented, so he picks things up quickly. Sometimes you just have a chance to be taught, and it’s something myself and our staff enjoy.”

Utah played with an energy that was apparent in a win Friday against Portland — an energy that stemmed from confidence and familiarity. Jazz forward Hayward said the team is enjoying playing together.

Said Hayward: “It’s one of those things where when the ball is moving, and everybody’s getting a touch, and people aren’t playing selfishly, the game is easy, it’s simple, and it’s also fun. It’s rewarding, especially with the guys we have. We’ve got a lot of good team chemistry, and so it’s good to see people make shots, people make plays. It’s good to win, too.

“It’s been a good stretch for us, for sure. I thought we had a renewed focus with the break, and it’s good to take advantage of the time we have at home here. It’s fun out there — it’s been two good wins.”

With his team’s performance against a newly improved Jazz team fresh in his mind, Popovich praised Snyder’s presence. While he joked with reporters that Snyder is “God awful” as a coach, he also said the rookie coach creates a good atmosphere for developing players.

“Quin is a guy who is easy to follow because he’s clear-minded,” he said. “I think the guys are doing a great job of understanding his system and taking on that physicality and aggressiveness that he’s looking for at both ends of the floor. I think everything is motoring along fantastically.”

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Jon Oglesby

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