Spending my Sunday morning re-watching Game 3. Will be dropping notes and plays on this thread.
Opening sequence. Jazz are terrifically prepared. Blow up firsts play of the game with an interesting defensive wrinkle. When OKC runs plays they have some interesting screening action that is not easy and the Jazz are on point
OKC over shifting defense in the opening moments was ultra aggressive but Jazz calmly picked it apart.
After the first timeout. Thunder stop over shifting. Jazz have had three really open corner 3 looks already. Thunder don't bring Brewer all the way over for the roll man and Rubio reads it perfectly for a Favors dunk
Even during the Thunder 18 to 2 run the Jazz are running their offense. They miss some open guys and miss some shots but the structure was still there. Game got wild and out of control.
Dante Exum back to back buckets to open the 2nd quarter were huge. He struggled in 1st quarter but came out and went right at Felton for two buckets to get the Jazz going again.
Subtle contributions are what you need to win playoff games. Down 10 Rudy Gobert misses 2nd free throw. Jae Corwder battles for the board and it goes out of bounds off Thunder. Jazz miss but Gobert O-Reb and Crowder converts on what was really 3rd chance opportunity
Thunder made some adjustments to get pick and roll with an entire open side of the floor. Coming from middle to right side and the corner is open on that side allowing George, Westbrook to operate a bit in space
This is absurd
Rudy Gobert impact is mammoth in the 2nd quarter. Thunder run great pick and slip with Westbrook/Brewer and Gobert slides down to block shot. Next play Gobert rolls and two go to him leaving O'Neale open for three. Gobert forces Patterson into turnover, then Gobert O-Reb 2 FT
On the next play Westbrook pick and roll with Patterson and Westbrook dribbles to Gobert decides not to attack and throws pass past Patterson into crowd. 5 straight plays Gobert has directly impacted - 10 pt down to 5. Crowd is insane
Good example of how impactful Gobert is defensively. This is a nice play by Thunder. Westbrook and George interchange with Patterson waiting to set pick. Ingles and Mitchell gets confused. Gobert reads play and forces Westbrook pass. This is a Russell dunk most times
Incredible work by the Utah Jazz Game Operations Staff. The arena and crowd looks incredible. The TV shots panning from one color to the next then back to the players jerseys and the Utah Court. As good as it gets
Another Gobert example. Nice play by Thunder. 1st play of 3rd quarter. They get Westbrook downhill on pick and roll with Adams. Rudy blows up the timing on the whole play cuts off Westbrook, gets back to Adams. Donovan comes and gets steal
Last tweet/video was the Thunder go to play for 3rd quarter. Ran it three straight times. First is on video, then Adams hit a 6 foot floater, Westbrook snaked underneath for a 14 footer and missed
Back to little plays. Derrick Favors gets offensive rebound over Carmelo Anthony that leads to Donovan Mitchell finding Rudy Gobert for slice to basket that gets Steven Adams his 4th foul. Doesn't happen without Favors o-reb
Adams 4th foul means the Thunder no longer have the go to play. Same thing happened in 4th quarter of Game 2 when Thunder had run back to back Westbrook/Adams pick and roll for buckets and then Adams foulded out
Jazz did more switching with Gobert onto Westbrook and George than I am used to seeing and it worked. Midway thru third they are 1 for 5 on those possessions when guarded by Gobert and all long jumpers
Joe Ingles is a magician with the ball fakes. Watch him fake the pocket pass to Favors freezing Felton and Anthony then hit Derrick for the dunk
This game is Jazz 71-68 with Mitchell on the bench with 4 fouls and 5:28 left in the 3rd. I would guess 90% of people thought this game was going to Thunder
Carmelo Anthony gets beat up for his defense but he is at least engaged and trying on most possessions. He directs a lot of traffic and is trying to position guys. Plus, he competes the entire possession. That is not universal for Thunder
Royce O'Neale with some huge plays late in the 3rd quarter with Mitchell out of the game
How do you score with Dante Exum, Royce O'Neale, Joe Ingles, Jae Crowder and Rudy Gobert on the floor. Perfect spacing, dribble penetration, passing and putting the defense in the BLENDER
This play sums up a lot of the game. Rubio/Ingles pick and roll leaves both wide open and Rubio bypasses a open 2 for a better Ingles 3 he misses then Gobert to Rubio for buzzer beating 3
Out of the time out Quin Snyder draws up a play that would be under "Jazz Basketball" in the dictionary. Look how many decisions the Thunder have to make and both Ingles and Mitchell could be wide open for three
Rudy Gobert's defense when switched on to Russell or Playoff P was great
The backstory on Joe Ingles and RIcky Rubio may have been lost. The two were roommates in Spain. Ricky was a young star and phenom. Joe had some tough years in Barcelona. Now to be sharing this together is pretty awesome
Watch this closely -. Rubio fakes the pocket pass to freeze defense and keeps dribble alive for the lay-up
That was a fun re-watch. Tip of the hat to @RyanRuocco who called a really nice game and captured the atmosphere of the incredible crowd. Better work out twice today after that ice cream Ryan
