Belated 3-point shots: Jazz beat Bucks

I had Wednesday off. And because I had Wednesday off – something rare considering the nature of this beast, er, beat – I forced myself to not write a word for our fine publication that day.
I still tweeted, went on the radio, worked on travel expenses, chatted with my boss and studied up on the Jazz, proving yet again that I’m lousy at taking days off. But, hey, nary a word from my fingertips was printed in the paper or online.
With that in mind, here is perhaps the latest postgame blog in postgame blog history, but I’m doing it because I don’t want Game 6 – an 85-73 Jazz win over Milwaukee – to feel left out:
POINT 1: Gordon Hayward has talked about basketball being a game of runs, and he brought that up in this quote:
“When we bring energy ourselves and the crowd gets behind us,” Hayward said, “it’s a snowball effect, and we’re able to push and create a run.”
Without hesitating, he added this tidbit: “We definitely need to learn to finish out the quarters and the halves.”
The Jazz have had a particularly rough time heading into the locker room this season. Utah has been outscored by 30 points in the final minutes of the first half in five games this season. The Jazz have only gone into the break on a surge once – against Philly.
The five pre-half stumbles:
– Vs. Lakers: Trail 35-29, and Lakers close out on 6-2 run to take momentum and 10-point lead into halftime.
– Vs. Nuggets: Denver leads 49-42, goes on 13-4 run to snag a 17-point lead.
– Vs. Spurs: Spurs up 45-37, go on 9-2 spurt to lead by 15 at halftime.
– Vs. Hornets: Up 50-43, N.O. scores final four to only trail by three.
– Vs. Bucks: Utah ahead 41-26 until Bucks go on 8-2 run to end half only trailing by nine.
The exception:
– Vs. 76ers: Philly up 47-42, then Utah goes on 11-4 run to take 53-51 lead on Paul Millsap 3.
POINT 2: Devin Harris was distributing the ball nicely before he strained his left calf muscle in the third quarter. The point guard only played 17 minutes but had six assists, bringing his season average up to 4.2 dishes per game.
For the Jazz to be successful this season, that assists average probably has to come way up. Harris has a reputation of being a score-first point guard, but even he hasn’t finished a season averaging under 5.3 assists since 2006-07.
The Jazz are being outassisted by two a game (21.5-19.5), but coach Tyrone Corbin isn’t overly concerned about that yet. He expects assists numbers to continue rising for this franchise so accustomed to being among league leaders in this category.
“I think as we get in better shape, and get more and more comfortable with each other, the shots will fall because we’re getting good shots,” Corbin said at Tuesday’s shootaround. “As long as we continue to take the right shot at the right time in the right position and the right people taking them, we have a better chance making them.
“The right passes are being made,” he added. “I’m not as concerned about the assists as I am making shots.”
POINT 3: Alec Burks is just a ball of energy when he gets out on the court, and you have to be impressed that he got to the free-throw line for 10 shots. He’s clearly in SO-HAPPY-TO-BE-HERE mode, and his enthusiasm is engaging.
Burks was pretty dang effective in his career-high 28 minutes and home debut, scoring nine points with six assists.
That P.T. was just two shy of his previous combined career total (30 minutes, including a DNP-CD).
“When (Coach) called my name I was ready. I practice hard and work out hard so that I am ready at all times when coach decides to call. I’m ready every time I step on the court,” Burks said. “I feel like I am aggressive and I play hard and I deserve whatever I get. You never know what is going to happen, Coach may call your name early or late so you have to be ready at all times.”
I’m still chuckling about the quote he gave me about being 20 years old and using his “20 legs.”
Guess that makes him The Human Twentipede?
Then again, maybe not.