SUMMARY: The Jazz take advantage of the Pelicans lacking Anthony Davis and blast New Orleans.

• This is a nice break to not have to face Anthony Davis. With that said the Jazz still blew the Pelicans out of crushed their soul in this game.

• The Vegas line made the Jazz a 6 point after being a 2 point favorite when AD was scheduled to play. The Jazz lead by 28.

• The Pelicans allowed 42% of opponents shots at the rim in their four previous game. The Jazz were committed to get to the rim and they lived in the restricted area. The Jazz ended up taking 39 shots in the restricted area making 29 and a ton of those were dunks. Rudy Gobert feasted on the Pelicans defense and got above the rim for dunk after dunk.

• Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell played a terrific game for the Jazz and dominated the game both by making shots as well as making the right play offensively. They combined for 18 assists and just 3 turnovers. They also made shots as both of them had more than 25.

• Ricky Rubio made 8 field goals tonight having made 7 in previous four games on the season. He was 8 of 14 while being 3 of 7 from three. He had 28 points and 12 assists.

• Rudy was a beast on top of the rim. It almost got silly at one point. He was 11 of 13 from the field. He had 23 points and 14 rebound. The Jazz would make Randle or Mirotic commit to the ball handler and then the moment he did they would lob the ball to Rudy. Or they would rush it up the floor and Rudy made great efforts to get down the floor in a hurry and get position for the lob. The knowledge that the offense is built for him at the rim is making Rudy roll hard and run the floor with more authority. He knows he will be rewarded.

• Derrick Favors had a great post defense sequence on Jahlil Okafor.

• Georges Niang changed the game. The Jazz trailed by 3 in the 1st quarter and then Niang came off the bench and hit a three. Got inside and drew a foul. Then on defense he stopped Holiday in the open floor and defend Mirotic which the Jazz had a tough time with in the first quarter on a drive.

• Jazz trailed after 1 31 to 28 and then went on a 18 to 4 run and the defense clamped down. They allowed just 18 points in the 2nd quarter. They took a 20 point lead in the 3rd and lead by 20 going to the 4th. They took it up to 28 but the yongsters of the Pelicans brought it back to single digits before Quin brought back Ricky, Donovan, Joe, Jae and Rudy to close it out.

• Pelicans came in 27th in defense after a miss and the Jazz ran opportunistically. They didn’t want to get in a track meet with the Pelicans, who play the fastest pace in the league, but they did want to take advantage of the Pelicans weaknesses.

• Jae Crowder was +15.

• Jazz have gotten two breaks, no Chris Paul and no Anthony Davis and they took advantage of both of them. In both cases they stayed focused and executed the game plan. These wins are a big deal. You don’t anticipate wins in Houston or New Orleans. The other thing is if the Jazz can get one of the next two they will begin to have that belief and strut that lets them really put their defensive clamps down and start to be the confident team they are at their best.

On a non-basketball note. The killings in Pittsburgh today and so many other hate-filled killings have to stop. We can not stand by and allow hate to be promoted and accepted in our world. We can disagree. That is the strength of our nation. The marketplace of ideas and debate is the core of Madisonian principles that built our country. Hate is not a part of that principle. We must fight hate. We must protect the value of human life and decency. Whether we are the same or different, whether we believe the same or different, whether we worship the same or different and whether we look the same or different should never be something that is the basis for our divisions. We are all humans. We must respect all human life and value.