The last time the Utah Jazz had a legitimate measuring stick game to see how they compare to an elite foe was on Monday when they faced off against the Miami Heat. Encouragingly, for the better part of that game, the Jazz were right there competing blow for blow with the South Beach squad. Save for an unfortunate fourth-quarter drought and the recurring woe of poor bench play, the Jazz looked every bit Miami’s equal.
Even though the game ended in a loss, it left me feeling more optimistic about Utah’s hopes of righting the ship than I had felt in their five wins over poor teams prior to that.