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SALT LAKE CITY — In two straight games the Jazz have had the bench in the game as the clock wound down to zero. The difference between the two reasons is a big difference.
The Jazz lost a game in Sacramento and threw in the towel with the bench playing the fourth quarter. The lead slipped away and Jeremy Evans and Kevin Murphy played four minutes. Against the Thunder the bench closed out the game, but they saw the lead grow.
In the Jazz's 109-94 victory over the Thunder Enes Kanter checked in for Al Jefferson with 9:18 left with the Jazz up 13. The Jazz then pushed the lead and got under the Thunder's skin, against the Thunder's first unit.
This is a unit that features Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who can put up big numbers in a hurry. They combined for 53 points in the previous three quarters. In the first half of the fourth when DeMarre Carroll was guarding Durant, Durant had two points.
During a three minute stretch when the Thunder were looking to make a move against the second-unit Westbrook didn't score at all against Earl Watson. By the time the Thunder gave up the bench had created a 21-point lead.
"Those guys, understand their aggressiveness, they understand how they have to play with energy," said coach Tyrone Corbin. "They had a stretch where they turned it over three times and they scored. But after the timeout I thought they came back with a lot of energy and was able to finish the game for us."
After the Thunder pulled their starters they had a mini-run, where they scored seven points in about :40 after a few turnovers. After a timeout the Jazz were able to hold on.
"They did a good job, they did a good job," Jefferson said. "They had me a little nervous there for a minute, but they bounced back and did what they supposed to do."
The Jazz have been notorious for blowing big leads, but they were able to hold on in the fourth without resorting to playing their starters.
"It felt great to be able to do that," said Paul Millsap. "To sit on the bench in the fourth quarter while you're up and watch the younger guys get out there and develop. That's good time for them, they had some good moments out there. They are still learning and throughout the season they are going to get better."
With travel and a game against a physical Minnesota team tonight, after a very chippy game, it should help the starters to get some rest. Jefferson scored 23 points in 33 minutes and the Jazz had eight other players who played at least 20 minutes. Sharing the load should help on back-to-back games.
The bench of the Jazz outscored the Thunder's bench 49-25, and a nine of those for the Thunder came in the 2-minute run, overall the Jazz's bench was in control.
They had so much control that they actually got the Thunder to play out of control, which is very uncharacteristic of them. Alec Burks was able to draw a flagrant foul on Durant, which was the first in his career, and that was the pinnacle of the Thunder's frustrations.
At the end of the game the Jazz had the same players on the court in two straight games. Both games were a blowout, but one was for the Jazz and one went against them.
