Three Takeaways From First Utah Jazz Win Of Season

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz defeated the LA Clippers, 120-118, on Friday to pick up their first of the season.

What did we learn about the team as they hit the road for two games in Phoenix and Denver?

Let Everyone Else Beat You

It’s no secret that the Clippers are a good team. They have a lot of talent and have been plagued by injuries for the last few seasons.

Utah was lucky enough to draw LA early in the season so they could play at full strength.

With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both hooping in the Delta Center, the Utah Jazz had a clear plan. If those two guys can beat us, so be it.

George and Leonard combined for 61 points on 48.7% from the field.

George added 15 free throws on 100% shooting from the stripe.

Norman Powell and Bones Hyland played well, but it was the PG13 and Klaw show for the Clippers all night long.

If the Jazz plan to force opposing superstars to carry the load, they can likely pick up a few extra wins this season.

Rebounding, Rebounding, Rebounding

The Jazz shot ten more shots than the Clippers in the first half. They increased that number to 19 by the end of the game.

More shots typically means more points and that worked in the Jazz’s favor on Friday.

How did the Jazz do it? Simple answer. Rebounding.

Utah finished with 11 more offensive rebounds and 10 more total rebounds than the Clippers.

Lauri Markkanen and John Collins pushed this agenda for the Jazz, finishing with 12 rebounds a piece.

Most of the time, winning the rebounding battle means winning the game. Especially when you do it convincingly.

Figuring Out The Rotation

In the first game against the Kings, Will Hardy made one-man switches throughout the first.

Against the Clippers, there were two group substitutions in the opening quarter.

However, there were a lot of similarities. The Jazz kept the same starting five. Kelly Olynyk and Collin Sexton were the first two players off the bench.

Keyonte George played 19 minutes against the Kings and that dropped to 12 minutes tonight against the Clippers.

Will the rookie guard work his way into the starting lineup?

Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports. 

Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

Take us with you, wherever you go.

Download the new & improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. You can stream live radio, video and stay up to date on all of your favorite teams.