SALT LAKE CITY — When Quin Snyder was asked before the game about the possibility of Rodney Hood getting back in the starting lineup soon, he answered by saying Jonas Jerebko would be starting Monday night instead of Donovan Mitchell. That elicited laughs from the assembled media, who thought he was joking because Jerebko had played sparingly this year.
It turned out Snyder was only half-kidding.
Jerebko, who didn’t even play in five of Utah’s first six games of the season was indeed the starter at power forward Monday night. With Rudy Gobert out and Derrick Favors moving to center, Thabo Sefolosha had started Saturday night at the four spot.