While Pelicans deal with Anthony Davis situation, Jazz hope to show in rematch that they’re the focused ones

New Orleans • It has been suggested that the ongoing saga of the uneasy, imperfect truce between superstar big man Anthony Davis and the Pelicans can’t help but be a distraction to that team.

And yet, it was the Jazz who gave an unfocused effort in Monday night’s stunning loss at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Days removed from significant wins against Denver and Milwaukee, Utah’s players said all the right things before facing New Orleans. Derrick Favors noted at the team’s morning shootaround the need to “come out and play hard and be focused every game, take every game like it’s the last game,” and that there would be no distinctions drawn between the playoff-bound Nuggets and Bucks, and the lottery-bound Pelicans: “We got to go in there and treat it like a playoff game.”

Did that actually happen, though? Seeing a 17-point lead evaporate amid a 22-2 fourth-quarter Pelicans run would seemingly make it difficult to argue in the affirmative.

Kyle Korver, who totaled a team-high-tying 20 points, doesn’t believe he and his teammates took their opponent lightly, however.

“I don’t think anyone came out not ready for this game,” he said. “It’s just what happens over the course of the regular season, and we have nights like this where we just weren’t able to pull it off.”

But center Rudy Gobert, who totaled 19 points and 19 rebounds, wasn’t so sure there wasn’t at least a subconscious delineation made.

“From the beginning of the game, I feel like we did not have enough energy,” he said. “… No matter who we play, [we need to] start the game with the same urgency like we play the best team in the league.”

Then again, maybe a letdown against New Orleans was simply inevitable.

After Davis’ agent issued a public trade demand, the Pelicans were inclined to sideline him for the remainder of the season, not wanting to damage his value to potential summer suitors by risking injury. However, the dual threats of Davis lodging a formal complaint with the players’ union and of six-figure fines per game imposed by the league were enough to inspire the sides to come together for an arrangement that neither is really happy with.

Davis is playing about 21 minutes per game since the trade deadline, largely sitting out fourth quarters, and completely sitting out the latter games of back-to-backs.

Jazz forward Jae Crowder, who has publicly acknowledged that he asked to be traded from the Dallas Mavericks early in his career due to unhappiness with his own situation, said that what’s going on with the Pelicans can’t help but be awkward, though the compromise seems to be working as well as possible.

“He’s still being accountable each and every day for his teammates. You’ve got to respect that. … [Davis is] still trying to give maximum effort,” Crowder said. “I’m sure his teammates respect his decision and whatever it is — no hard feelings in it. But he is giving it; when he’s on the court, he’s giving maximum effort, and you’ve got to respect that as a player.”

Indeed, in just 22 minutes and 7 seconds of action vs. Utah, Davis made 7 of 14 shots, totaled 15 points, and contributed a team-high 11 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks, as well as three assists.

Nevertheless, with Davis’ minutes limited, other Pelicans have had to step up, and that was very much the case against the Jazz. Jrue Holiday drilled 12 of 23 shots — including 4 of 7 from deep — to total 30 points and four assists, while harassing Western Conference Player of the Week Donovan Mitchell into 8-of-24 shooting and six turnovers. Meanwhile, Julius Randle proved a pick-and-roll wrecking ball inside, bulldozing his way to 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

The Pels now have consecutive wins vs. the Nuggets and Jazz, and Crowder is impressed from afar with the way they’ve come together.

“They’re doing a good job. I think they’re handling everything the right way,” he said. “Obviously, the group is playing at a high level, so that shows in itself how effective they are about it. They just leveled up their play and picked it up.”

Now the Jazz will need to do the same in Wednesday’s rematch at the Smoothie King Center.

Asked what made them so successful against Utah on Monday, Randle said that Holiday was able to “make life difficult for Donovan” defensively. Holiday, meanwhile, praised Randle for “being able to make [Gobert] a nonfactor down there. … Gobert is a really good defender, so taking it to him, being aggressive is definitely the best way to go at him. He was making it tough on him all night.”

For what it’s worth, the Jazz vowed not to make the same mistakes again.

“We were playing with fire. We knew that. … We knew we were playing with fire. You play with fire, you get burned,” Mitchell said. “… [We] play them again on Wednesday, so we can have a crack at them. We’ll be all right.”