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SALT LAKE CITY — The Jazz played one of their worst games of the season at home, against a Kings team that was 15 games below .500, who lost their best player and had to take them to overtime to get the win.
But, in the end, they got the win. The Jazz played one of their worst games this season and still beat the Kings in the end. They went into overtime, but a 98-91 score is all that the Jazz really cared about.
The game probably shouldn't have been that close. Without DeMarcus Cousins the Kings are missing their low-post threat and the Kings just aren't that good, but it was. Where do the Jazz take it from here.
"We have to get better," said coach Tyrone Corbin. "You can't count on playing bad and winning ball games. The guys fought hard. You're not going to make all your shots every night. You're not going to miss assignments on different nights. You try to work to do that, but when it does happen you continue to fight and work your way through it. And I thought these guys showed a lot of character to continue to fight and work their way through the mistakes."
Got a win, take it any way we can get it. The last game, the Portland game, we had five turnovers and loss. So I'll take 20 turnovers with a win any day of the week.
–Al Jefferson
The Jazz ended the night with 20 turnovers. They didn't play that bad outside of that number, but 20 turnovers is horrendous. They normally average 14 turnovers per game with 24.4 assists in wins. Against the Kings they had 25 assists to their 20 turnovers.
"Got a win, take it any way we can get it," said Al Jefferson. "The last game, the Portland game, we had five turnovers and loss. So I'll take 20 turnovers with a win any day of the week."
In Portland the Jazz only had four and the Blazers had 16 turnovers, but left with a loss anyway.
Jazz nation left Energy Solutions Arena probably a little restless and uneasy. How can the Jazz battle with a contending team when they can't blow out the Kings who are without arguably their best player? Well, playing without two point guards and Gordon Hayward can make any game hard.
"We're down three or four guys," said DeMarre Carroll. "We won the game and I think everybody is playing hard. Everybody is getting valuable minutes."
Injuries have to be a big part of the team's struggles. They have been playing odd lineups. Alec Burks at point, Carroll playing shooting guard with Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter in a mix and match big lineup.
Burks ended the night +21 in the +/- category playing almost all point guard. He and Carroll combined to go 10-15 for 24 points on the night. It took 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists from Jefferson and 20 points and six assists from Randy Foye to give the Jazz the game in the end.
"We can't do it again," Foye said. "Every win is not going to be pretty. We came in and we played really well against Portland. Shooting the ball and things like that; moving the ball. But every game this team plays us is tough."
The Jazz shot 52.8 percent and held the Kings to 40 percent, but the turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds for the Kings allowed them 15 extra shots.
"A win is a win," Favors said. "No matter how you get it, whether it be sloppy be a blowout or whatever. A win is a win, so I'll take it."
If the Jazz played this way against the Thunder, Heat, or probably a handful of other teams they wouldn't win, but they weren't playing them. The Kings played well and while the Jazz didn't play great, they played good enough.
