The Utah Jazz offense was red-hot to start Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers. Defensively though, it was a way different story according to Jazz defensive anchor Rudy Gobert.
After dropping just their second home loss of the 2021 playoffs, the three-time DPOY went off on his team's defensive intensity to start the game.
“We weren't playing with a sense or urgency at the beginning,” Gobert said (via Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune). “I wish maybe we would have missed some shots [early] so we would have realized we needed to play some defense. Just no urgency on the defensive end.”
Rudy Gobert: "We weren't playing with a sense of urgency at the beginning. … I wish maybe we would have missed some shots [early] so we would have realized we needed to play some defense. … Just no urgency on the defensive end."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) June 17, 2021
That's a lot coming from the team's defensive leader.
The Frenchman was pertaining to Utah virtually knocking down all the shots they threw up in the opening half. The Jazz were scorching hot on offense, knocking down a franchise record of 10 triples in the game's opening quarter. Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, and even Jordan Clarkson were all having a blast from long-range which, per Gobert, sort of derailed the team's focus on the other side of the floor.
Even with the Jazz shooting the lights out, the Clippers stayed in the game and fought back, keeping things close up to the half. And, when the second half started, the Jazz finally cooled off while the Clippers kept their foot on the gas. The visiting team, who were without their main gunner in Kawhi Leonard, outscored the Jazz 32-18 in the third quarter and went on to keep Utah at bay.
Behind the terrific performance of Paul George, the Clippers escaped with a huge Game 5 win and the Jazz are just one loss away from calling it a season.
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