Why the Utah Jazz were swept by the Golden State Warriors
By Adam Coffman
Too many options
The Jazz are well-stocked with contributing assets nine, 10, or even 11 spots deep on their bench, which has allowed them to match up well with a variety of opponents. However, this was not the case against Golden State.
Kevin Durant, who ran roughshod over Utah for 38 points in Game 3, was a matchup nightmare all series, proving too long for Gordon Hayward and too quick for virtually everyone else.
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On the occasion that Durant wasn’t able to get his shots to fall, the Warriors had the luxury of going to their three other stars for scoring.
The Jazz simply don’t have enough good defenders to slide onto every threat the Warriors pose.
This may seem obvious, but it’s exactly why it is so hard to defeat Golden State in one game, let alone a seven-game series.
The Jazz played just about the best game they could have hoped for in Game 3, holding the pace down, limiting the Warriors to just nine made three-pointers, and clamping down on Golden State’s transition attack.
All the holes were plugged, except for one – Kevin Durant, who singlehandedly kept the Warriors in the game until the fourth quarter, where Curry was able to shoulder some of the load.
The Warriors had Plans B, C and even D available if their main options weren’t able to produce, but the Jazz were left with just one path to victory — a path they were not able to succeed with.
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It was a disappointing but expected outcome for the Jazz, who will now turn their attention towards the offseason and all the change and opportunity it brings.