The Utah Jazz Finally Break the Curse

It took over half the season, but the Utah Jazz finally managed to win three games in a row.

On Monday night, the curse was finally broken. The Utah Jazz, who have teased fans all season long with mini two-game winning streaks only to break their hearts in game three, finally came through in the clutch and made it three in a row for the first time during the 2015-16 season.

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For a moment it looked like this third game after a two-game winning streak was once again going to take on a Groundhog Day-like resemblance (which would’ve been fitting since today is Groundhog Day by the way). After handling the Charlotte Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Jazz trailed the Chicago Bulls late. With 13.1 seconds left in the game, down by two with one free throw left to shoot, it looked like the Jazz were primed to drop another potential three-game winning streak.

Then, Gordon Hayward happened.

The night’s leading scorer missed his second free throw attempt and the Jazz were somehow able to track down the rebound, setting up Hayward’s driving shot that forced overtime. Hayward was huge in the extra period as he carried the load for the Jazz and willed them to victory.

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It was exactly the kind of performance that Jazz fans hope to see night in and out from Hayward. It was exactly the night he’s capable of and precisely the spotlight that he has proven willing to step into. The bumps and bruises that the Jazz have suffered so far this season may have actually been a blessing in disguise as this latest and greatest run looks like it could be the start of an enormous upswing for Utah. Hayward said it best following Monday’s win:

“When guys go down, it’s a chance to expand your game. You’re doing some things you probably wouldn’t necessarily be doing. For all of us, we’ve gotten better because of it.”

“When guys go down, it’s a chance to expand your game. You’re doing some things you probably wouldn’t necessarily be doing. For all of us, we’ve gotten better because of it.” – Gordon Hayward on team’s improvement amid injuries

That improvement was certainly in full display on Monday night. While Hayward was without a doubt the team’s leader and key cog, Utah had virtually a perfect box score overall. Each of the starters finished in double figures (Hayward – 27, Favors – 13, Gobert – 16, Hood – 19, Neto -14, Burke – 10) on a night where it finally seemed that the team was clicking as a unit. Hayward and Gobert also pulled down 12 rebounds a piece.

This type of game where each teammate is playing efficiently and contributing is exactly what the Jazz have to replicate to have success moving forward. While Favors didn’t have a spectacular night, as he continues to work his way back from injury this Jazz team will have all the tools to turn into a consistent force to be reckoned with.

And as was brought up on this site last week, the Jazz have an extremely favorable February schedule. After pulling out a win against the Bulls in the second hardest match-up of the month (rivaled only by the February 25th game against the San Antonio Spurs), the Jazz have an enormous opportunity to turn this first three-game win streak of the season into something much bigger.

Next: Don't Give Up on the Utah Jazz

The Jazz continue their current six-game home stand on Wednesday night as they host the Denver Nuggets then finish off the home streak against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. Particularly if the Jazz put up the kind of balanced effort that we saw on Monday night, these two games will be very winnable allowing the Jazz to push this first significant win streak into something much bigger.

February is here. The Jazz are finally healthy. And they’re not showing signs of slowing down any time soon.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com/stats

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