This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Of all the memorable moments the visit from the unbeaten Golden State Warriors evoked Monday night, the most striking scene came midway through the fourth quarter when about half of the fans in the lower bowl were compelled to remain standing.
During a timeout.
That's the kind of atmosphere the Jazz inspired by threatening to knock off the NBA's defending champions and distinguish themselves as the first Warrior-beaters in 2015-16. They didn't quite make it happen, thanks to Stephen Curry's closing flurry — even though his late miss gave the Jazz a game-winning opportunity that Rodney Hood couldn't convert with his 3-point try from the right wing in the last six seconds.
Curry's two free throws, then Gordon Hayward's half-court prayer that was on line but way short, left the Warriors with a 106-103 victory at Vivint Smart Home Arena after undoubtedly their toughest test during this 19-0 run, other than an overtime game with Brooklyn.
The Warriors lived up to interim coach Luke Walton's words in his pregame media session. His team's unbeaten status "makes other teams want to beat us that much more, to be the first team to end the streak," Walton said, "but we have guys that kind of embrace pressure and they seem to play better, the more pressure and the bigger the stage."
Afterward, Walton said, "Once their crowd got into it, they had their confidence going. It was a solid NBA game. It was a lot of fun to be part of."
Walton played in Arizona's double-overtime win over Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament at the Huntsman Center and some intense Jazz-Lakers playoff games in this building. Thirty years ago, Jazz coach Quin Snyder was a Duke freshman when the Blue Devils started the season 16-0 before losing to rival North Carolina. Monday's in-arena environment and on-court intensity undoubtedly matched any of those events.
After the Jazz came so close, Hayward said, "We gave ourselves a chance at the end, and that's all you can for."
And that was almost true. Nobody could have gone home feeling cheated, that's for sure. November nights in the NBA simply are not supposed to be this much fun. The Jazz made the Warriors work like crazy for this win, and they responded like champs. Not even Snyder wanted much more — other than maybe having Hood's tough shot go down, making his team worthy of worldwide news.
"I liked the look … I'll take Rodney Hood with that shot any day," Snyder said.
Whatever kind of letdown or feelings of frustration the Jazz created by coming close is actually a compliment to them, considering the Warriors had won their previous 18 games by an average of 16 points. This exercise goes into the books as a missed opportunity and a loss in the standings for the Jazz, but it is tough to be critical of how they battled with one of the greatest teams in NBA history, as Hayward scored 24 points and Derrick Favors added 23.
The Jazz rallied from six points down after three quarters to lead by three — not coincidentally, with the reigning league MVP on the bench. Curry returned just in time to hit a tying 3-pointer and ended up scoring 10 of his 26 points in the last 6:20 of the game. Until then, Curry had delivered only a couple of spectacular plays, a quick-release 3-pointer for Golden State's first basket and a scoop shot under Rudy Gobert's arm.
And then Curry hit two unforgettable shots down the stretch — a 22-foot, step-back jumper over Favors with the Warriors down by two, followed by his tie-breaking 3-pointer. In the end, some of the MVP's best stuff became necessary Monday, to the Jazz's credit.
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