This game had the same rhythms as Monday night’s Jazz loss to the Pelicans: the Jazz got out to a double-digit lead at halftime, then grew it at the beginning of the fourth before putting it at risk again. This time, though, the Jazz put the game away. What was the difference?
Defense. After giving up a 116 defensive rating against New Orleans on Monday, they only allowed a 98 defensive rating on Wednesday. That’s absolutely the difference between a win and a loss.
What did the Jazz do differently? Well, they did their work earlier in possessions against Jrue Holiday, taking him from 30 points scored down to 16.