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SALT LAKE CITY — Danuel House Jr.'s bow-and-arrow-like celebration came out in Memphis.
Then it came out again.
And again.
And again.
House got to pull out his trademark 3-point celebration four times in Utah's 119-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Not bad for a player who wasn't sure if he was even going to be on the road trip. Go ahead and put some more arrows in the quiver, Mr. House. (Or at least some more web — it may look like a bow and arrow, but it's a nod to his son's favorite superhero Spider-Man.)
On Friday morning, House signed his third 10-day contract with the Jazz, and that evening he went 4 of 5 from deep on his way to a team-high 21 points.
"He goes out there and plays defense, plays hard, crashes for the boards, hits some open shots," Mike Conley said. "He's not afraid to shoot it. He'll take some shots, step back shots, in transition and the like, 'no, no, no, no, no, no — yes, yes, yes' shots, but that's why you love him because he's not afraid of any moment. He's not afraid to guard anybody and that's just been really special for us — even though we haven't been rewarded with any wins."
In one moment, Conley broke down why House has a pretty decent chance of sticking around even after his third (and potentially final) 10-day deal. Save for another COVID-19 hardship contract, to keep House around after these next 10 days are up, the Jazz would have to sign him for the remainder of the season.
So does he think he's shown that he's worthy of that full deal?
"I think I've done enough to get a third 10-day," House said.
Fair enough.
House, though, does check a lot of the boxes Utah is looking for on the wing. He's a high-energy defender on the perimeter and a willing (and serviceable enough) 3-point shooter. Those are two traits that coach Quin Snyder happens to hold in very high regard. It's more likely for him to admonish a player for not taking a shot than for missing one. He probably won't have to worry about that with House.
"Just great hustle — he shoots the ball well and makes plays," Jordan Clarkson said. "Defensively, I think he's been a big part of our runs in the last game and helped keep the games close so you have a chance to win. He's been playing really well. I'm really proud of him. I'm happy he's able to get this opportunity to come in and play and make an impact."
House finished 3 of 5 at the rim and just 2 points shy of his career high he set in 2019 against the Miami Heat. House has never been a 20-point scorer — and don't expect him to turn into that with the Jazz, no matter how long he stays — but he's had a successful NBA career. He played a meaningful role in Houston's playoff runs in 2019 and 2020, where he averaged 26 minutes in 16 games over the course of those two seasons.
That wasn't very long ago, and House is only 28. It appears he still has more in the tank.
"Shoot, he's an NBA player," Jordan Clarkson said.
He's at least officially one for the next nine days — and maybe more.
"I knew I had to go out there and make the most of the opportunity and make sure that I'm able to propel the team and not take the team backwards," House said.
