Derrick Favors went to sleep, because, well, there was nothing else to do. Royce O’Neale dusted off his Xbox — which travels with him on most road trips — and broke out NBA 2K18. Ekpe Udoh and others were just thankful to be safe.
For the second time this season, the Jazz’s team plane was grounded by mechanical issues. This time, they were forced to spend an additional night in Oklahoma City, where they had just finished off a Game 2 win over the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday night.
With everything fixed, the Jazz arrived in Salt Lake City around 11 a.m. Thursday morning. Favors immediately jumped into his car and headed to Utah’s practice facility, where he received treatment for nicks and bruises and got a few shots up.
“I think everyone was comfortable with it,” Favors told The Salt Lake Tribune. “Everyone wanted to make sure the plane was OK. That was the most important thing for us.”
The Jazz and Thunder will match up on Saturday night in a critical Game 3 at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Saturday date — giving both teams a two-day break — was a godsend in this instance.
In February, the Jazz’s charter plane was grounded after a game in Phoenix, but team had a game scheduled the next night in San Antonio against the Spurs. After arriving in the wee hours of the morning, the Jazz wound up winning the game — one of their biggest road trips of the season, as it turned out. On Thursday, the Jazz simply took an already-planned day off. The team will reconvene on Friday to go through a workout and film study.
In the meantime, Utah players made good use of the unexpected night in OKC.
“We were playing 2K and FIFA,” O’Neale told The Tribune. “Some of us also watched film of the game, trying to figure out where we can improve.”
The Jazz said they didn’t mind the extra night, mostly because they have become such a close group off the floor. Heading back to the hotel and being delayed, they used it as a bonding opportunity.
“I think people can see how close our team is to each other,” Udoh said. “We’re a team that’s really close, so we were cool with it. We just wanted to be safe.”
Seeking another strong start
The Jazz say they want to continue the trend of having good starts as the series with the Thunder shifts to Salt Lake City. In Game 1, the Jazz were up 16-4 before Oklahoma City caught its legs and got back into the game. On Wednesday night, Utah began the game on a 9-0 run, prompting Thunder coach Billy Donovan to call timeout.
Oklahoma City would come back, and eventually take an 11-point, second-half lead, but the Jazz used that start to build confidence and eventually steal a road win.
Doing the same in Game 3 is essential, Utah says.
“It’s very important,” Favors said. “We know that they are going to come out and be aggressive and try and take it to us. So, it’s important that we come out and start the game with a lot of energy. Then, we just kind of have to take it from there.”
Jerebko’s turnaround
On Sunday, in Game 1, Jonas Jerebko looked almost unplayable. He struggled to guard Carmelo Anthony, he missed shots and looked lost on both ends of the floor. In Game 2, Jerebko was Utah’s best bench player. He scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. He kept the Jazz afloat at times during the first half. He was a +19 for the game, the second-best net rating on the team.
Ingles brings the ‘D’
Joe Ingles scored just three points on Wednesday. But he was sensational defensively, holding OKC star Paul George to 1-of-6 shooting from the field as his primary defender. Ingles’ defense wasn’t reflected in the boxscore, but the Jazz outscored the Thunder by 21 points when he was on the floor.
