Jazz eager to end playoff drought; earn big win over Cavs
The young Jazz may not admit to feeling the pressure of seizing the opportunity before them, but Utah played like a desperate team in its spirited 94-85 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
The Jazz, who entered play two games back of the final Western Conference playoff spot, kept pace by pulling away from the Cavs in the fourth quarter despite the absence of go-to scorer, Gordon Hayward.
After falling behind by three early in the fourth, Utah ended the game by outscoring Cleveland 28-16 down the stretch, with Rodney Hood stealing the show in a 28-point performance on 9-of-16 shooting.
Two weeks ago, before a loss in Toronto that extended what turned into a five-game losing streak, it was Hood who said the Jazz needn't feel pressure to end the franchise's postseason four-year playoff drought this year.
"I feel like for years to come, we're going to be at the top of the West, so I don't feel like we've got to do it now or else," Hood said at the time. "We're on our way, regardless of what happens at the end of the year."
Rudy Gobert echoed that sentiment. "If we don't make it, it doesn't mean we're not going to be a very good team in the future."
Despite an appreciation for Utah's young talent and upside, it's tough for those outside the team's locker room to view things with the same rose-colored glasses.
Yes, the Jazz are one of the league's youngest teams, boast a formidable frontcourt featuring Hayward, Gobert, and Derrick Favors, and are perhaps another competent guard away from taking a sizable leap forward. But in the age of shorter contracts and smaller windows of contention - with a potential work stoppage looming less than two years from now - nothing can be taken for granted.
After finishing last season on a 21-11 tear, with Gobert propping up an elite defense, the Jazz were expected to make season-long noise in 2015-16. That the Western Conference became as vulnerable as it has been outside of the top tier, with Houston imploding and New Orleans and Phoenix fading, only made Utah's postseason return more attainable, even without point guard Dante Exum.
But between injuries and inconsistent play, the Jazz haven't been able to capitalize on a rare opportunity out West. And a year from now, Anthony Davis could have his Pelicans back in the race, another high lottery pick could be the final piece of a playoff puzzle in Minnesota, and a team like the Suns, stocked with an impressive collection of assets, could make a quick recovery.
The Jazz haven't missed the playoffs in four straight years since the franchise's first four seasons in Utah during the early 80s, and this is an organization that not long ago, was finishing off a run of 25 postseason appearances in 29 years. But miss the dance again this spring, and the team's worst drought in nearly 35 years could be in the cards, despite the admirable job the organization has done rebuilding.
Chasing Dallas
Of the three teams Utah's chasing for one of the last West playoff spots - Portland, Houston, and Dallas - the Mavericks appear the most vulnerable.
The Mavs ended a five-game skid Monday in Charlotte, but their next five games come against the Cavs, Warriors, and Trail Blazers, with 13 of their final 15 games either coming against a team currently in playoff positioning or on the road. That includes what appears to be a massive showdown in Utah on Apr. 11 - a game that will decide the season series between the two teams.
Most would have pegged the Jazz as the superior team entering the season, and if Hayward can get healthy, now would be the time for them to prove it.
The Jazz can't rely on the future simply balancing out. For them, the future is now, and Monday's upset over the Cavs went a long way towards securing it.