89-83 was the final score as the Utah Jazz cruised to an easy win over the Sixers. The score, is deceiving at best. The Sixers should not have finished 6 points behind the Jazz, in fact it could have been a lot worse. In a season where inconsistency has plagued Philadelphia, this night was no exception.
Utah matched the Sixers when it came to scoring in the paint alongside second-chance points and fast-break points. The entire pace of the game was dictated by this meaning it was extremely difficult for the Sixers to ever find some momentum and get on a roll. The rolling, was all being done by the stars of the jazz. With a game-high 25 points from Hayward and double-doubles for Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz rose above and beyond the Call of Duty. The Jazz dealt a disconnected Sixers side their fourth loss in a row and ninth in the last 10 games.
Whilst this is is a scenario we’re oh so familiar to reading by now, Philadelphia actually did start showing glimpses of light. Turning it over just 13 times and gaining 22 assists on 32 field goals is showing encouraging signs that chemistry amongst the team is starting to grow. The assists have risen drastically in recent games, and I can see that trend continuing as we go into the end of the season. Nerlens Noel and Thomas Robinson posted double-doubles which again just goes to show that even on great individual performance nights, it’s not going to earn a team victory.
By the arrival of the third quarter you could see that the players were coming to the end of their patience. 5 for 18 was the shooting stat from the field and just 1 for 6 from the foul line. That, is why composure is so, so important. Not just in the clutch, but overall.
The chance for the chemistry to keep growing will come sooner rather than later as they host the team with the best record in the league, the Atlanta Hawks.
