The starting five in this series hold the keys to success. For the Utah Jazz, their new All-Star could be the difference while the Clippers’ future Hall of Famer is on a mission.
It’s finally here. Playoff basketball has come to Salt Lake City.
For the first time since 2011, the Utah Jazz played in the postseason, and it’s been a long time coming after getting so close in 2015-16.
Despite the early injury to Rudy Gobert in Game 1, Joe Johnson’s game-winning heroics made sure Jazz fans weren’t disappointed with their team, winning 97-95 and taking an early 1-0 series lead.
It’s almost fitting the Jazz lost Gobert and will no doubt now battle injuries for as long as they remain in the playoffs. No team has been more adversely affected by injuries than the Jazz this season, but somehow they ended up with 51 wins.
Utah was the most injury-impacted team in the NBA this season. Still got to 50 wins because it had @rudygobert27, the best C in the league. pic.twitter.com/WdKcWvas93
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) April 11, 2017
That’s a testament to everyone in the franchise from the trainers, to the players, to the front office. It’s an incredible achievement, to be hit by so many injuries, and remain a genuine threat in the West.
Now is the time the Jazz prove their worth.
Gobert told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon about his team’s desire to go further than the first round:
"“The regular season will be a success but definitely not the season. I think we are really an ambitious team. We’ve got a group of guys who want to win. Our goal this season was to make the playoffs, but we want more than that.”"
This playoff run is so much more than your regular playoff push.
A good performance will lay the foundations for next season – a season that will surely be healthier and undoubtedly more prosperous than 2016-17.
Not only that, it will go a long way to securing the face of the franchise Gordon Hayward. Hayward is all but certain to opt-out of his current contract and somewhat test the free agency market. Without him, that undoubtedly prosperous 2017-18 season is in doubt.
The Los Angeles Clippers won the season series 3-1 but year after year, the “team X won the season series so will win the playoff series” claims that circulate social media are proven inaccurate.
There are a handful of matchups that will determine this series, and with health a growing issue for the Jazz, their Game 1 win has given them hope should Gobert not return anytime soon.