There were stretches where the Utah Jazz just were trying to survive in the season opener before the bench took off and crushed the Denver Nuggets.
Derrick Favors was helping the starters stay afloat, scoring the first eight points in the third quarter with a layup, dunk and pair of mid-range jump shots. Even when it felt like the game was going south, the 26-year-old gave the Jazz some spark.
“We just had to go out there and fight,” he said. “That was the whole thing.”
The eventual 106-96 Utah win felt like a statement game for a lot of players that spent the last season overlooked. Alec Burks returned from a spate of injuries in previous years, and Ekpe Udoh was a resilient defender in his first NBA game in two years.
But because he sat for much of the comeback, Favors’ contributions might be a little understated to start the season: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists while going 7 for 14 from the field. But it was a performance that put him on track for his stated goal of getting back to the player he once was during the 2015-16 season.
“Derrick Favors competed like crazy,” coach Quin Snyder said. “You could feel him in the game, and a lot of it was the second half in front of the bench. He just battled. I think our guys just really respect that about each other. It’s infectious.”
A few shot charts help tell the story. Favors finished three of his shots by the rim, but four others came from mid-range, helping space the floor for Rudy Gobert, who ended up 7 for 9. He also helped limit the potent frontcourt of Nikola Jokic and Paul Millsap to only 10 for 25 on the night, giving the Jazz defense some answers for an offensive duo others will struggle with.
There was an intensity and urgency about Favors’ night, Snyder suggested. And when asked about it later, it seems he might’ve had parental inspiration.
“For me personally, this was my son’s first time watching me play, so I wanted to make sure I played good for him,” he said. “That was in my mind the whole time.”
Favors’ performance also illustrates another facet of the Jazz that may be increased in the new era: The ability to play through a hot hand.
Each of Favors’ four baskets to start the third quarter was assisted by Ricky Rubio. Snyder said Rubio noticed Favors was heating up, so he continued going back to him and finding him in different set-ups. That may seem straightforward, but the Jazz haven’t had a distributor who can keep a hot scorer rolling like that in a while. No Jazz player had 10 assists in a regular-season game last season.
But Favors’ own passing ability, perhaps a somewhat undervalued skill, came to the fore after his run of baskets. The next two Jazz buckets came on assists from Favors, who found Rodney Hood and Rubio on the perimeter.
Snyder credited Utah’s communication with helping build that rapport.
“Those seem like little things, but when you get that kind of communication from the group and certain players, even if you haven’t played together a long time, I think that allows you to be connected,” he said. “The thing about our team is they’re open to it. They’re wanting that.”
Favors, in particular, wants a lot more of that. After a down season marred by injury last year, he’s looking forward to taking a step back in the right direction. Look for more of the grit he showed in the comeback Wednesday.
“We are going to be aggressive all game,” he said. “Whether we’re losing or winning, it doesn’t matter. We’re just going to fight the whole time. That’s what we showed tonight.”
JAZZ AT TIMBERWOLVES <br>At the Target Center, Minneapolis <br>Tip-off • 6 p.m. MDT <br>TV • AT&T Sports Network <br>Radio • 1280 AM/97.5 FM <br>Records • Jazz (1-0); Timberwolves (0-1) <br>About the Jazz • Making his first return to Minnesota since he was traded, Ricky Rubio passed 3,000 assists for his career against the Denver Nuggets and now sits at 3,001. … Joe Johnson (20,046 points) passed Antwan Jamison on the NBA career points list for 41st overall and is only three points behind University of Utah alum and one-time Jazzman Tom Chambers. … The Jazz were 3-1 against the Timberwolves last season, splitting the appearances at Target Center. <br>About the Timberwolves • Minnesota is coming off a season-opening loss on the road to the San Antonio Spurs, 107-99. … New to the team this year is Jimmy Butler, who averaged 23.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 5.5 apg last year with the Chicago Bulls. … Wing Andrew Wiggins was extended in the offseason for five years and $148 million.