Though he’s been patient as his team goes through a rebuilding phase, Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy didn’t hold back on Sunday after a 128-121 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Considering how well the Detroit Pistons are playing coming into Monday’s matchup in Salt Lake City, the Jazz will have to play much better than they did against Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum & Co.
“It’s a moment of refocusing for everybody who wants to play more,” Hardy said.
Utah played without key veterans Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson on Sunday, and Hardy felt like it was a wasted opportunity for some players.
The Jazz made a game of it in the fourth quarter, taking a six-point lead after trailing by 18. However, Hardy was disappointed that the team was outscored 76-56 in the paint and was frustrated at the overall defensive effort.
It led to the Jazz losing for the eighth time in 11 games and falling to 3-5 in a nine-game homestand.
“I love all the guys in the locker room; they’re human beings. It wasn’t their best tonight,” Hardy said. “But the frustrating part is that there’s so much opportunity on our team right now. All of these young guys are getting an opportunity to show us who they are and what they are, and that opportunity deserves to be met with the desperation that it deserves.”
Hardy praised reserve big Oscar Tshiebwe, the 2022 consensus national player of the year from Kentucky. He totaled 16 points and 13 rebounds with a steal, an assist and a plus-25 rating in 20 minutes.
“I’m not disappointed in our team very often. I think there were some guys who really played great,” Hardy said. “Oscar deserves a shoutout. He played incredibly hard and gave our team a really big lift. I thought he guarded Zion very well. His strength really showed up in those moments, but as a whole I thought our attention to detail was poor.”
Utah will be challenged at home again in a back-to-back situation as Detroit begins a four-game road trip. The Pistons have won nine of their last 10, including Saturday’s 115-94 win over Brooklyn.
Though his team had a season-high 27 turnovers vs. the Nets, Detroit coach JB Bickerstaff lauded his team’s efforts that have helped them play as well as anybody of late.
“It’s a mental toughness thing. One of our core values is toughness. It’s not just a physical thing, it’s a mental thing,” Bickerstaff said. “Throughout an NBA season, you can make 100 excuses. You always have a reason to blame someone else to have a way out. Our guys haven’t made excuses. They’ve come out every single night and competed at a high level.”
Detroit had consistent efforts from a variety of guys vs. Brooklyn, including 18-point outings from Tobias Harris (nine rebounds), Jalen Duren (11 rebounds) and Malik Beasley. Cade Cunningham totaled 15 points, including nine in the decisive fourth quarter, along with nine assists and seven rebounds.
Bickerstaff likes the chippy way his team plays, too.
“That’s kinda who we are. We play kinda teetering on that edge, and it brings our guys so much juice,” he said. “When it does get that way, I feel comfortable that our guys know how to execute and play through it, because it is a place that’s comfortable for us.”
–Field Level Media
