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PORTLAND — Rudy Gobert is feeling pretty good. Actually, he’s feeling really good. Maybe even 29-6 in a 35-game stretch good.
Following Utah’s dominant 120-90 win over Portland, Gobert said that he is starting feel like this season’s Jazz team is coming together the same way it did last winter when Utah was the hottest team in the league.
“I got the same vibe that we had last year at the end of the season when we had that winning streak,” Gobert said. “I think we have figured out how to win and that's the most important thing.”
Back-to-back wins over the Blazers and Golden State Warriors can do wonders for a team’s confidence, but the Jazz also have expected results like these to come. And that’s because of a defense that has started to play like last season’s elite unit.
Utah's had the second-best defensive rating (100) in the NBA since the calendar turned to December. And over the last five games, the Jazz have had a defensive rating of 94.1 — easily the best in the league.
“I think it’s coming,” Gobert said. “The energy locker room is not the same. We really focus on defense. We talk about defense and it translates on the court.”
It has translated recently, but Jazz coach Quin Snyder doesn’t want to get too excited over the recent stretch of good play. And especially not just one blowout win over the Blazers.
“It’s one NBA game of 82,” Snyder said.
Donovan’s struggles
Donovan Mitchell is 6-for-36 over the last two games, and he’s shot over 40 percent just three times in the last 10 games. Still, the Jazz aren’t worried about their young star.
“The thing we need form Donovan is him to defend,” Snyder said. “Donovan is in his second year, he’s going to have tough nights. He’ll be better. I don’t want to overanalyze one player. Everyone on our team has had rough nights. It’s a team effort. He did his part on the defensive end. He’ll be better offensively.”
And Mitchell was more concerned about his defensive effort — not too mention the 30-point win. He wants to help the team win. Sometimes that means dropping 30, sometimes that means chasing around CJ McCollum.
“Defensively we were locked in,” Mitchell said. “We have to continue this, it can’t just be a two-night stretch. We have been locked in on that end these last two games, we have to keep it up.”
Welcome back to Exum Island?
Dante Exum had a seven-minute stretch where he was simply phenomenal. Elite defense on Damian Lillard, eye-catching passes, a drive to the hoop for a big dunk. In all, he scored four points, six assists and was a plus-18 during that span.
With Exum leading the way, the Jazz’s bench took control of the game in the first half. And after giving up a number of leads this season, that was a welcomed sight for Utah.
And maybe even more welcome because of who led the charge.
Earlier this month, Exum had nearly fallen completely out of Snyder's rotation. If he continues to play as he did on Friday, it’s hard to imagine that happening again.
Exum played 21 minutes on Friday, finishing with eight points, eight assists and zero turnovers.
And with Ricky Rubio struggling in the first half, his play gave the Jazz offense a steady hand. And who knows, that may have led to Rubio’s outburst in the third quarter where he scored 16 of his 24 points.
