Quin Snyder and Rudy Gobert clinch an All-Star victory. Now the real work begins for Utah Jazz.

Others



[ad_1]

On the sidelines, Quin Snyder scrawled on his whiteboard, surrounded by his assistant coaches and top NBA players. On the pitch, Mike Conley launched a logo lob. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, found themselves on the other end of the downtime reel dunks.

The Utah Jazz were all smiles and all over Sunday night in Atlanta, the league’s first-place team were better represented than any other team in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.

“It’s amazing when you look at where we started as a team seven years ago,” said Gobert, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and an assist in his second All-Star game. “If someone had told us we would be in the All-Star game seven years later, we would have said we have a long way to go. Thanks to our hard work and the trust we have in each other, the team and the organization, we have been able to benefit from the experience this year.

Snyder, Gobert and Team LeBron won the first quarter, 40-39, ran away with the second quarter by a margin of 60-41 and took a 46-45 victory in the third. In the decisive fourth quarter, Snyder’s team reached a final score of 170-150.

“It was a pleasure to watch out on the pitch and see not only the All-Stars but the Hall of Fame players as well,” said Snyder. “To have a chance to be a part of this game, and to see Rudy, Donovan and Mike as well, was really special.”

For the Durant team, Mitchell scored 15 points to go with four rebounds and four assists while Conley had three points, two cents, a rebound and a steal.

“I was definitely more comfortable,” Mitchell said of his second All-Star appearance. “It’s a different kind of pick-up game when you’re playing with the best players in the world. You’re just trying to find your balance. For me, it was just going out there and being who I am and having fun. Hope I will be here for many years to come.

On Sunday Mitchell, his Utah Jazz teammates and coaches had the chance to fight against each other. In the second half, Mitchell stepped into the lane, saw Gobert stand there and decided it would be better to consider another option.

“I didn’t have the legs to try to dive,” Mitchell said. “So I realized that it probably wasn’t the best idea to go there.”

Late in the game, Mitchell gave Gobert a playful hug to prevent the big man from scoring an easy layup.

“We’ve all talked a lot about waste,” Conley said. “We were just playing and having fun. I really wanted to beat Rudy at the end of the night, but they were obviously the better team. “

The Utah Jazz now want to make sure they’re the best team, that their stars are mentioned among the best in the league when it matters most, that the basketball world doesn’t forget them at the end of the season.

“We know it doesn’t matter how many games you win in the regular season,” said Gobert. “When the playoffs start, the real things begin. This is where we’ll see what we’re made of.

It was all fun and the games showcased the league midseason. 14-year-old veteran Conley relished every moment of his first All-Star selection. Snyder rubbed elbows with the game’s greats. In the first quarter, Lakers forward LeBron James bounced a pass off the field, high in the air and into Gobert’s hands for a rocking dunk.

Would it be enough for Gobert and Mitchell to forget that James and Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant made them the final All-Star Draft picks?

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t care to be honest with you,” Mitchell said when asked before the game. “At the end of the day, I went to another All-Star Game. Rudy did it. The coach did. Mike did. We are here. Whether we were chosen first or last, I am really lucky to be a part of it. It is a sign of the work of our team. “

The Jazz have a league-best 27-9 record halfway through the season. But Jazz’s top scorer knows he and his All-Star teammates don’t always get the respect they deserve.

“People have spoken [expletive] about me for a while, saying I can’t do some things to come, ”Mitchell said ahead of Sunday’s game.

The All-Star double also reminded reporters that Gobert wears the number 27 because that’s how the All-NBA center fell on draft night.

“Mike Conley has been neglected for how many years?” Mitchell continued. “In the end, it didn’t really affect us. We are not playing this game to get their approval or that of anyone else. We play this game to try to win a championship. “

Even when lost, Conley took the opportunity as much as anyone in Atlanta. The playmaker was second to Golden State’s Steph Curry in the 3-point contest and had a chance to jump for the second quarter prediction in the All-Star game.

“I would have liked to have earned the tip,” said Conley. “Other than that it was a great experience. A lot of pleasure. I really enjoyed the whole transaction.

But by the end of the night, his focus had shifted to the weeks and months ahead.

“I’ve always been concerned about winning first and how we do as a team. This has always been my first goal, ”said Conley. “This year, with the way we started and the way we played, we get a lot of recognition for that and the guys are rewarded for it. These things come with victory. I am happy to be part of a team that was able to start as we did. But we understand that we don’t want to be the regular season champions. We have the biggest goal of winning a championship.

“The second half of the year is going to be a sprint. We have to knock on all cylinders if we are to have any chance of competing for this ultimate goal.

Now the real work begins.

“At the end of the day we play this game and go back to the second half of the season and get there,” Mitchell said. “The goal is not to be the best team in February. They will be the best team in July. “



[ad_2]
Source link

Powered by https://naaju.com/ghana | Designed by Naaju
© Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved