Jazz Stress Need from improved defense isolation in loss against Bucks – Deseret News

The guard of Damian Lillard and Janice Antetokunmpo is a difficult task for every NBA team, and jazz in Utah found that first -hand on Monday night in the Delta Center.

In a victory 125-110, in which Milwaukee Bucks led quite comfortably all the time, especially in the second half-liar, and antetokunmpo combined to score 70 points as they passed the jazz to their 26th victory. The loss dropped to 10-34 and scored the sixth consecutive loss of jazz and their ninth defeat in the last ten games.

Milwaukee took full advantage of jazz land, which expanded in six minutes at the beginning of the third quarter, surpassing Utah by 16-0 during this period.

“We just have to stop the tracks for us. This is the biggest thing. I think we have been too much with some situations in the slopes to make him go on to be honest, “said jazz guard Isaiah Kolier.

From that moment on, it was the most all the dollars, although jazz showed some determination in the fourth quarter to reduce the large lead to 12 points many times.

Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and added 18 rebounds and seven assists, while Lillard, the former Weber State star, also collected 35 points to go with eight assists and four rebounds. This was the first time the Superstar duo scored 35 points since they got together in Milwaukee.

Utah offered a little resistance to Bucks, which launched 60.5% of the terrain on Monday. Coach Will Hardy attributes many of the protective problems of the poor defense of the isolation, which occurs again and again during the loss.

“We are too easy to fight at the point of attack and this puts a lot of pressure on the weak side. With a player like Janice, with a person like give, if you explode in a straight line, you are in a really, really difficult place. Everyone of a man has to do better work, guarding individually, “Hardy said.

Too often, on Monday night, weak sidewalks were late after someone was defeated, which complicated the problem and caused Milwaukee exceeded Jua 64-42 in the paint.

“The second piece of this is the weak side is late and it is part of it because there must be more resistance to the attack point,” Hardy said, “but we also need to have proactive thinking on the weak side of the floor defensive, especially in the night, In which Walker (Kessler) will not play much and they will attack the paint. I felt it was the area of ​​the game that hurt us the most. “

The fact that there is no Kessler on Monday, certainly did not help the questions, though Hardy stressed that Utah could not rely on him to clean things.

“We don’t want to explode. Walker does a pretty good job, but we don’t want to do the game for him, that we have to clean the mess of every possession, because in the end we get to where we want to go, we have to keep the ball much better at the point of attack – Hardy said. “So there are probably five plays in the game that you could go:” Maybe if it was Walker, this game would have been different. ” But in place of the defense attack tonight, I don’t think Walker would change that tone.

Hardy said jazz was defeated by the protection of aid about 75% of the time, noting that the mental focus of the team should be improved.

“I think they compete, but there is a physical part of competition and then there is the mental part. And I think right now in this area, I think our mental focus was not good enough about how I need to adjust my body to give myself the best chance to keep that person, “Hardy said.

“I think our protection and roll protection has improved. I think our ball protection has improved, but in half the vessel our insulation needs to be improved. “

Isaiah Collier’s starting chance

As keeper Keyonte George was moved to the bench, the 29th common choice Isaiah Kolier received the nod to the eight of the last ten jazz games, including on Monday.

Colier registered 12 points and eight assists at 6 of 9 firing and added two fights and three thefts to one of his most effective games in his young career.

“Yes, I think we’re just looking at different things that work for us,” said striker Lori Markanen. “He does a good job all year long and says ready and deserves the opportunity and plays well.”

George, for his part, played 31 minutes, the most in the team-and scored 15 points at 5 out of 13 firing while closing the game.

The return of Jordan Clarkson

After missing the last 10 jazz competitions with a left plantar fascia, veteran keeper Jordan Clarkson returned to the squad, leaving the bench to play 22 minutes.

Although this was not his most effective night (he shot 4 for 12 of the pitch), he knocked down four 3-centered in the fourth quarter to bring a little life to the Delta Center crowd and return to a groove after lengthening your time away.