Jazz’s strong play of late has coincided not just with better defense, but also with big assist totals

Saturday’s result clearly didn’t go the way the Jazz hoped, as the Thunder escaped with a 107-106 victory to snap Utah’s budding two-game winning streak.

Then again, even with the loss, you’d be hard-pressed to argue with the way the team is playing right now. This recent run of games has arguably been the Jazz’s best stretch of the season, something Ricky Rubio sought to remind people of in the aftermath of the loss to Oklahoma City.

“I think we have to be encouraged the way that we are playing. We can’t really judge our game just because we won or lost. Sometimes you win and you play bad, and sometimes you lose and you play good,” he said. “We have to be smart, we have to know where we are at, and keep doing what we are doing, because we are playing better.”

What’s behind the resurgence, though?

Well, for one thing, the defense is finally approaching the level the team was at a year ago, with the Jazz posting the NBA’s second-best defensive rating over the past 10 games.

But while many have focused on the improvement there, what’s gone a bit under the radar is the corresponding improvement on the other side of the ball — an already good passing team has become a superb one of late.

Utah ranks 10th in the league in assists per game, at 25.0, but has bolstered that significantly in recent games. The team has nine games this season of 30 or more assists — and three of them have come in the past three games.

In Wednesday’s win vs. the Warriors, the Jazz totaled 30 assists. Then in the victory in Portland on Friday, the Jazz increased the number to 35 (including eight from Dante Exum). They had 35 yet again Saturday vs. the Thunder.

Coach Quin Snyder said that in his view, it’s not that there’s been an increased focus on passing as much as the team simply actually seeing more shots go in.

“When you look at games where we haven’t had a lot of assists … you have to have a make to get an assist. But I think we’ve always made the extra pass. It’s infectious at times — I think that’s how we play,” he said. “Over the long haul, if you’re trying to generate open shots, you’re gonna make a couple mistakes, but you’re gonna get good looks, and eventually you get in a game where you start making ’em. I’d like to spread ’em out a little bit more!”

Utah is 7-2 this season in those games where it has registered 30-plus assists. (Coincidentally, both losses were to the Thunder.)

And over the past week, myriad players have cited the team’s passing figures as being central to their success.

“That’s the way we want to play every night,” said center Rudy Gobert. “Move the ball, share the ball and just have fun.”

“I think this is who we are. This is what we do. For us, to see us get back to that is really good. It’s really promising,” added Donovan Mitchell, who had six assists vs. both the Thunder and Warriors, and four vs. the Blazers. “I think that’s what we are really focused on, obviously we wanted to win [the OKC] game, but we are really pushing to get back to where we were last year.”

Rubio has had stellar passing numbers in the three-game stretch, totaling 10 assists against the Warriors, eight vs. the Blazers, and then totaling his most as a Jazzman on Saturday night, with 14 against Oklahoma City.

He cited improving on-court chemistry for the run of success.

“I think we are getting comfortable playing with each other and knowing how the other team is going to guard us,” Rubio said. “We are just playing better overall.”

Now, with a couple more games in a row against top teams, with the Blazers making a return trip on Christmas, and Eastern Conference power Philadelphia visiting this Thursday, Snyder wants to see his team continue to focus on doing the things that have generated the improvement of late.

“Making quick decisions and sharing the ball — we feel like that helps connect us,” he said. “You know, we were able to get a few good looks because guys did move it. And when it doesn’t stop, that’s when we’re a better offensive team.”