For much of this season, the Utah Jazz have been lauded for their skill. And those accolades have been well deserved. Few teams in the league space the floor as much as the Jazz. Few teams have the amount of shooters and playmakers the Jazz can throw at you. And few teams possess as many ways to beat you offensively.
But the Utah Jazz don’t have a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers in a Western Conference semifinal because of what they are in terms of skill. They have a 2-0 lead over the Clippers because of their toughness, mentally and physically. And their resilience to figuratively punch back when given haymakers.
“We have been able to collect ourselves and get stops when we’ve needed them” is how head coach Quin Snyder put it.
But, that may be putting it mildly. The Jazz don’t outlast the Clippers 117-111 before a packed house at Vivint Smart Home Arena if they are just pretty boys.
