The Jazz, a big dark horse at the beginning of the season, as the season deepened and the team traded, the dark horse color began to fade and gradually degenerated into mediocrity! However, the Jazz are not willing to settle down, and the team is also working hard for a play-off spot.
The Jazz previously ranked 11th in the West with a 34-36 record, but the team is less than 0.5 games away from the 10th-place Lakers, and has a chance to catch up with the Lakers and make the playoffs! However, although the Jazz have opportunities, their subsequent schedule is not simple, especially this game, the team met the Kings.
The Kings are arguably the biggest dark horse in the West this season, ranking second in the West and have become a strong team to be reckoned with in the league, and they also want to win against the Jazz and consolidate their second place in the West.
The strength is not as good as the Kings, but the Jazz did not admit it at all, but showed a hot hand on the outside, Abaki and Olynyk were full of firepower, and they took the initiative at the beginning! But the Kings are also an offensive team, Fox and Barnes then gave a counterattack, and although the Jazz had the advantage, they did not open the point difference! However, in the second half of the quarter, the Kings' hand fell sharply, and the Jazz continued to attack, the team blossomed inside and outside, and bombed 40 points in a single quarter, while the Kings scored only 19 points, which was opened by the Jazz by 21 points.
Monkney scored points and Metu also gave in the assist, and the Kings offense finally found its rhythm in the second quarter! However, the Kings' offense resumed, but the Jazz also maintained a good play, which kept the gap between the two teams around 20 points, and the Kings only chased the difference to 16 points at halftime.
But in the second half, the situation on the court suddenly changed, the Kings' attack suddenly broke out, Barnes and Fox teamed up to launch a counterattack, and after a wave of offensive climax, the difference between the two sides was only single digits! Dunn and Azubuke stopped the bleeding for the Jazz one after another, and the team then went offensive, but the Kings still tied the score in the third quarter with the strong firepower of Fox.
The score is tied, and both teams have a chance to win in the final quarter! Guy led the Jazz bench to launch a fierce attack, Monk reciprocated, the 2 teams played difficult points on the court, the score was tied many times, and it was difficult for anyone to take the initiative! At the key moment, the Jazz made another effort from the outside and hit 3 consecutive shots, but the Kings did not seize the opportunity, missed 3-point shots many times, and the two teams opened the point gap again, and finally the Jazz defeated the Kings 128:120.
Overturning the second place in the West, the Jazz also broke out a big upset, this civilian team, in the absence of core Markkanen, still has 8 people scoring double-doubles, and 8 people are smashing 120 points, the offensive end is completely crazy.
Fontecchio cut 12 points, Olynyk was still a big killer on the offensive end, with 19 points and 10 rebounds, Kessler contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds, Abaki was a big explosion, cutting 27 points and 5 rebounds, Tucker scored 10 points! The Jazz bench was also very good, even without Clarkson, but Dunn contributed 18 points, Azu Booker 13 points and 8 rebounds, Guy 11 points, and the team played a beautiful team game.
With a win over the Kings, the Jazz won the game beautifully, and the big dark horses of the West, which had been dormant for a long time, once again emerged and disrupted the Western Conference play-off situation.
After the Jazz defeated the Kings, the record surpassed the Lakers and returned to the 10th place in the West, while the Lakers fell to the 11th place in the West, and the Western play-off pattern has also changed a lot, and the Lakers want to enter the playoffs, and even the playoffs, which is really hanging.
At present, the West from the 6th Warriors, 37-36, to the 12th Pelicans, the record difference is only 2 games, and they bite each other very hard! The Lakers are currently ranked 11th, the gap behind the team is not big, but without James sitting down, their strength is actually limited, it is good to say that the weak team may not be able to win!
Moreover, the Thunder and Jazz 2 dark horses have recently emerged, and the 2 teams are really playing well, the strength cannot be said to be better than the Lakers, but it is not worse than the Lakers without James, and it is not easy for the Lakers to compete with them for a play-off spot.