EMPTYING THE NOGGIN

Summary:  The defensive juggernaut that is the Utah Jazz won a game on the offensive side of the ball tonight upending the hot-shooting Dallas Mavericks for their 12^th straight road win.

• The game started as a flat out shoot out.   Which was completely unexpected.  It really never became the grind it out half court defensive battle you would anticipate.   However, from the big picture standpoint, it went as you  would expect.  The Jazz took a lead, controlled the game most of the way and then Dallas never went away keeping Jazz nation nervous for almost the whole game.

• Ron Boone said in his shoot around report that he wanted the Jazz to be able to attack the basket tonight and work in the paint. They did that well scoring 56 points in the paint.  Dallas is interesting they are the 29^th ranked team defending the restricted area and 28^th defending the paint, however they allow the fewest attempts in the restricted area.  The Jazz did a nice job of continually working inside tonight and working at the rim.

• Derrick Favors displayed another night with a wide array of skills. He hit another corner 3, he had one of the most remarkable dunks and he had a gorgeous touch pass to Rudy Gobert.  The dunk was incredible.  A pass down at his feet and he was able to reach down and collect the ball and then rise up in traffic and dunk.  That is elite.  He is the #1 shooter in the NBA in the restricted area.  There are not many players in the entire league who could have caught the pass and had the explosiveness to dunk it.  Favors had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.  Favors 5 assists lead to 14 points.   4 of the 5 field goals were three point shots.

• Donovan Mitchell had a spectacular night. The word spectacular is the correct one to use.  Each of his baskets had a level of difficulty that would have made Mary Lou Renton (old reference) proud.  He is not making his three point shot and even seems a bit reluctant to shoot it.  Therefore, he was doing most of his damage at the rim in traffic with angles that seemed impossible.   Only 4 of Donovan’s 11 field goals were assisted.  He is creating offense all by himself and it is incredible.

• The Jazz used Joe Inlges in the pick and roll a great deal tonight. Clearly, there was a matchup the Jazz were trying to take advantage of and where able to go at most of the night.  Ingles had another 10 assist game to go along with his 18 points and 6 rebounds.   Think about that Joe Ingles dropping a 18 points,  6 rebound and 10 assist game.  That is big time.

• Jazz were in control most of the night. They had a double digit lead three different times.  However, Dallas doesn’t relent.  JJ Barea torched the Jazz early in the game.  He had 20 in the first half.   Yogi Ferrell gave the Jazz fits.   The Dallas Mavericks guards were not a great match-up for the Jazz.

• Dallas shot lights out tonight. They were 17 of 32 from three.  Somehow the Jazz won.  The defense had its worst outing since before Rudy Gobert returned.   The offense tonight, had 12 threes and shot an EFG% of 59% (same as the Mavericks)

• The Jazz only had 12 mid range points all night, everything was in the paint or three point shots.

• Ricky Rubio was aggressive to start the night and stayed with it all night. He had 22 points and the Jazz are undefeated when he scores 20 or more

• 12 straight road wins.