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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Jazz held a shootaround prior to Wednesday's Game 5 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which will be at 7:30 p.m. MT on NBATV and AT&T SportsNet. Here's what's going on around the team.
Is a closeout game different?
One question during the Jazz's media session today came up in many ways: do the Jazz expect the Thunder to play this game any differently because it's a "win or stay home" situation?
"I don't think there's anything unique unless we want to make it that," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said. "We've got to play well. If we don't, we're going to be talking about it next game."
That being said, the Jazz do expect the Thunder to play better. First of all, OKC didn't have a good shooting night on Monday, going just 5-26 from the 3-point line. That will improve. They also only shot 11-31 from midrange — that's below their average, too. Certainly, a lot of those shots were bad attempts due to good Jazz defense (and ugly OKC offense), but you'd expect more of those to go in.
The other focus, though, is to just stay focused on the game itself rather than the antics. "If you give too much life to physicality, that's what you're thinking about instead of playing," Snyder said.
Joe Ingles agreed, in his own way.
"You guys can write a great story about it, and it'll be great, and then we'll all go to the summer eventually, and it'll all be gone," he joked. "It's just a basketball game."
Russell Westbrook avoids suspension
Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook avoided suspension for Game 5, getting hit with a $10,000 fine and a postgame technical foul instead. That technical foul would contribute to Westbrook's tally if he reached the NBA's playoff limit of seven. More details, including video of the incident, can be found here.
At shootaround, Snyder said it was "a league matter" and declined comment, though said the team was focused on the game, not Westbrook's status.
Ricky Rubio a Community Assist Award nominee
Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio has been nominated for the NBA Community Assist award, one of 10 NBA player nominees.
Rubio was nominated due to his support of lung cancer research, working for 5 For The Fight, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation in Minnesota, and other charities.
"I think athletes are in a position where we can help out a lot,” Rubio said in a statement. "I really enjoy seeing how my efforts make an impact in the world."
The full list of nominees:
| Nominee | Team |
|---|---|
| DeMarcus Cousins (youth outreach) | New Orleans Pelicans |
| J.J. Barea (Hurricane relief) | Dallas Mavericks |
| Ricky Rubio (lung cancer research) | Utah Jazz |
| LeBron James (iPromise school in Akron) | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Kevin Durant (widespread community funding and support) | Golden State Warriors |
| CJ McCollum (education initiatives) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Dwyane Wade (Parkland tragedy) | Miami Heat |
| Mike Conley (St. Jude Ambassador) | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Public Schools) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Kemba Walker (Big Brothers Big Sisters outreach) | Charlotte Hornets |
Donovan Mitchell's stellar performance
Donovan Mitchell is turning heads around the league with his performance through the first four games of his playoff career. Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points per game so far; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan have matched or exceeded those totals in their first four playoff contests.
In his best game Monday, not only did he set the Jazz rookie record for scoring with 33 points, he also added zero turnovers, preventing OKC from getting out in transition for the baskets they rely on for efficient offense.
"I think those things are connected," Snyder said. "It's a question of making the right read. If the shot's there, he's gotta take the shot. If they're taking something away, he's gotta make the pass."
"When you're around him every day, and you see how committed he is to everything, he does a great job of it," Ingles said. "He's been guarded a million different ways, he's been beat up, everything's happened to him this year and he's been able to fight through it. It's not a surprise at all."
Team cohesion
As the NBA starts to see more of this Utah Jazz team, they're noticing just how much this team seems to like each other. These players are legitimately good friends.
"We genuinely enjoy each other's company. Off the court, on the road, at home, guys sit in the locker room, it's just different," Ingles said. "I'd be surprised if there were many other teams like that in the league."
That's showing up on the court, especially when the players are challenged by OKC. Jae Crowder was asked about how willing he is to stand up for his teammates in those skirmishes, and Ingles couldn't help but remember Crowder's time before joining the Jazz.
"He tried to fight me in Boston!," Ingles said. "They were cheering for Gordon (Hayward), and he got mad at me. He should’ve gotten mad at Gordon.”
Then, Crowder had a good point. "Gordon wouldn’t talk back. I knew (Ingles) would."
