The Utah Jazz had very interesting 2014-15, with the team struggling early, finding themselves, making a pretty important trade, and then devastating teams with defense in the second half of the season. It was such an impressive turn around that the Jazz were amongst the talks of the town all off-season long. Big things were predicted for this club in 2015-16, and the team may still get there, but few clubs were as impressive during the calendar year of 2015 out of the lotto clubs out there. Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert emerged as a legit "Big Three". Rodney Hood and Joe Ingles were hitting threes. And Dante Exum was finally playing free. It was a fun team to watch, one that would go into other team's homes, and exit with a win. So without further preamble, here are my Top 15 wins of the Year 2015 for the Jazz!
M | D | Y | Game | Jazz | Opp | +/- | |||||||
1 | JAN | 7 | 2015 | Road | at | Bulls | 97 | 77 | 20 | ||||
2 | JAN | 30 | 2015 | Home | vs | Warriors | 110 | 100 | 10 | ||||
3 | FEB | 23 | 2015 | Home | vs | Spurs | 90 | 81 | 9 | ||||
4 | MAR | 3 | 2015 | Road | at | Grizzlies | 93 | 82 | 11 | ||||
5 | MAR | 16 | 2015 | Home | vs | Hornets | 94 | 66 | 28 | ||||
6 | MAR | 28 | 2015 | Home | vs | Thunder | 94 | 89 | 5 | ||||
7 | APR | 13 | 2015 | Home | vs | Mavericks | 109 | 92 | 17 | ||||
8 | OCT | 31 | 2015 | Road | at | Pacers | 97 | 76 | 21 | ||||
9 | NOV | 15 | 2015 | Road | at | Hawks | 97 | 96 | 1 | ||||
10 | NOV | 18 | 2015 | Home | vs | Raptors | 93 | 89 | 4 | ||||
11 | NOV | 25 | 2015 | Road | at | Clippers | 102 | 91 | 11 | ||||
12 | NOV | 28 | 2015 | Home | vs | Pelicans | 101 | 87 | 14 | ||||
13 | Dec | 5 | 2015 | Home | vs | Pacers | 122 | 119 | OT | 3 | |||
14 | Dec | 9 | 2015 | Home | vs | Knicks | 106 | 85 | 21 | ||||
15 | Dec | 21 | 2015 | Home | vs | Suns | 110 | 89 | 21 |
- Going into Chicago, a team that was 25-10 at that point, and beating Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and company down by 20 is great. Derrick Favors had 20 and 11, Rudy Gobert added 11 and 14 with 5 blocks. Both of our bigs had double doubles and off the bench Trevor Booker had 15 and 8 -- that's almost three bigs doing it. Amazing. Gordon Hayward had 18 points, while Trey Burke added 17 points and 4 assists in the start.
- Yes, the Dubs would eventually win the title that year, and at the time had 36 wins and were looking to roll -- but instead had to accept shooting under .300 from deep due to the Jazz' defense. Stephen Curry had a 32 / 7 / 6 / 3 line, but Utah pretty much shut down everyone else. Gordon Hayward, you could argue, was better with 26 / 15 / 6 / 3 on that night. Trevor, Trey, Rudy, and Elijah Millsap added 51 bench points off of 41 shots.
- Hey, this one counts as Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, and Marco Belinelli all played. It was a solid team game by the Jazz that got the win, where Trey Burke (23) led the team off the bench, and every Jazz started finished with a few points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Spurs-ian for sure.
- Memphis was fighting for playoff position and all of their best players were playing, except for the husk of Zach Randolph. This was the Rudy Gobert swagger game, as grit and grind was demolished by the Jazz. Gobzilla finished with 15 points and 24 rebounds (6 offensive). G-Time and Favors both had 21 points each, and Rodney Hood scored 13 off the bench.
- Big Al Jefferson? Marvin Williams? Mo Williams? These guys finished the game with 20 total points off of 28 total shots. Classic Corbin era efficiency. The Jazz won by 28 points as the new guys defeated the "Vets of Jazz past". Rodney Hood got the start and finished with 24 points off of 11 shots, drilling all five of this threes. Rudy Gobert had 9 points and 20 rebounds. And yeah, the Jazz defense put the Bugs to sleep, 66 total points is suffocating like this is the end of the movie "One flew over the cuckoos nest." (Spoilers, I guess)
- This was the "Troll Enes Kanter" game. I don't really need to go into how awesome it was to get this win. Rudy had 13 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 4 blocks while shooting 7/10 from the free throw line.
- Dallas was looking for their 50th win of the season. The Jazz were looking for fan appreciation night. The fans won, as Rudy Gobert had 20 and 17, Bryce Cotton had 21 off the bench including that wicked alley-oop finish. This was an amazing game.
- After dropping the first game of the season to the Pistons, then dropping the 76ers, the jazz looked to play their third road game in four nights against the Pacers. Gordon Hayward had a pretty big win at home, while Rudy Gobert had 9 and 17, Derrick Favors dropped 18, and Hood and Burke both went over 15. A very solid win for a tired team.
- At the end of their second East road trip of the month, the Jazz played a really tough Hawks team that was making huge threes down the stretch -- a team that didn't want to go down easy. Paul Millsap had 28 points, Kyle Korver was doing everything else. Thankfully, hometown kid Derrick Favors shut them up with his 23 point performance, Rodney Hood added 20, and Alec Burks came off the bench to close them out with his 18. A one point win against the East's best isn't bad. Especially not on the last of a four game trip.
- The very next game was hosting another Eastern power with the Raptors. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan pounded the Jazz guards for 34, while Luis Scola had a throwback 22 point game. It wasn't enough as the Jazz starters Favors, Hayward, and Hood took control over, and the Burkescourt finished in the fourth.
- Gordon Hayward going into videogame mode and dropping 33 points on the Clippers, in LA? Yes please, more of this. Gobert had a double double, Favors dropped over 20, and no one ever talks about how Blake Griffin had 40 points in this one because of the loss. Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson all played. All got the big "L" on their forehead thanks to the G-time smackdown. Previous era Jazz teams couldn't beat great (on paper) teams in their own gyms when they were healthy. This team is doing it without starting point guard Dante Exum even in the building. Gotta love the potential this squad has.
- Everyone loves Anthony Davis, he put up 36 points in this game. The Jazz beat him with Favors out and starting Trevor Booker in his place. Book had 13 and 15 and added 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in his place. Hood finished with 16, Hayward with 17, and Burks off the bench with 21. When they are all playing well the best wings on this team can determine the outcome of the game by themselves.
- Paul George's 48 couldn't stop the Jazz, even if he helped his team (and Rodney Stuckey too!) take them to OT. This was a great win for the (at this stage injured) Jazz. No Dante. No Rudy. No problem, as Favors dropped 35 points, and swallowed up 13 rebounds. G-Time had 22/5/5/2 a star line for a player making a case to be called one. Trey Burke scored 19 off the bench. Dude, Trey Lyes had 4 points. In your face, Larry Bird!
- Few things are as fun as blasting Carmelo Anthony and the big market Knicks by over 20 points. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 4 points, and the Jazz (down two starters) got huge games from Hayward and Favors. The team leaders both plowed their way to 20+ point games, and there was no answer. 25 points off the bench from the Burkescourt too!
- A healthy Suns team got dismantled by the injured Jazz, a prelude to their current struggles. The Jazz starters are +18, +23, +23, +30, +34 in +/- in this game. A complete wire-to-wire blowout. At times Raul Neto looked quite John Stockton -like. I'm homer enough to admit it.