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Daily NBA Fix: Utah Jazz Can’t Stop Golden State Warriors’ Perfection

By Ben Gibson

Nov 30, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket in front of Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket in front of Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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DAILYFIX_151201
DAILYFIX_151201 /

The Utah Jazz almost became the first team to beat the Golden State Warriors this season, but once again Stephen  Curry and company found a way to stay perfect.

It almost happened.

The Utah Jazz came so close to knocking off the undefeated Golden State Warriors. but it just wasn’t enough. The Warriors broke a tie late with a Draymond Green putback, but fittingly Golden State put the game away with a Stephen Curry 3-pointer and then a pair of free throws for insurance. The Warriors won their 19th straight, 106-103.

Tim Legler did a great job of pointing out a few of the ways how the Jazz slowed the Warriors, something I imagine other teams will look at going forward.

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As Legler said, it isn’t a blueprint, but it is a reminder of how disciplined teams have to be to stop Golden State. It requires a steady attention to detail on every possession and putting the league’s most dominant team in difficult situations.

Good luck doing that for 48 minutes though, much less in a seven-game series.

Lob City, Utah

If you can’t get the win, at least get the highlight. Rudy Gobert was on the receiving end of a Gordon Hayward pass, one that Gobert threw down with authority. Small ball is the future, but 7-foot tall players will always be hard to slow down, especially a talented one like Gobert.

The Warriors got the win, but the Jazz demonstrated that they are a young team on the rise. Right now they’re the 7th seeded team in the Western Conference, a spot they don’t plan to give up easily.

Millsap Spins Right Round Russell

Paul Millsap twirled the joysticks to execute this beautiful spin move past Russell Westbrook during the Atlanta Hawks 106-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Hawks might not be as dominant as they were last season in the Eastern Conference, but they shouldn’t be dismissed as long as they keep winning and knocking off good teams.

Jackson, Pistons beat the Rockets

If it weren’t for the still perfect Warriors, some of the NBA’s other storylines might be getting more attention. Two of those would be how the Detroit Pistons are getting better and the Houston Rockets are getting much worse. Last night Reggie Jackson dropped in 31 points while handing out eight assists in the Pistons’ 116-105 win over the Rockets.

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Detroit currently sits on the fringe of the playoff picture, but I’m not betting against Stan Van Gundy and company getting things sorted out in his second year in the Motor City.