Hassan Whiteside Blocks Shots On Back-To-Back Possessions
Apr 23, 2022, 3:21 PM
Hassan Whiteside # 21 high-fives teammate Jordan Clarkson # 00 of the Utah Jazz after a dunk during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 29, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz big man Hassan Whiteside made his presence felt with two blocks in two possessions in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs.
In back-to-back possessions, Hassan Whiteside blocked shots to give the Jazz momentum on the defensive end.
With 10:48 remaining in the second quarter, Whiteside blocked a midrange jumper by Luka Doncic. After the Mavericks go the ball back, Spencer Dinwiddie tried to score on the Jazz big man but was swatted away.
Midway through the second quarter, Whiteside had two points, four rebounds and three blocks in nine minutes.
Lego man with 3 blocks already 🙅♂️#TakeNote | @youngwhiteside pic.twitter.com/iwd6xQZZ2Y
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 23, 2022
The Utah Jazz are still preaching defense after dropping consecutive games in their opening-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.
At practice on Friday, reserve guard Jordan Clarkson discussed the defensive issues plaguing the Jazz in Games 2 and 3.
“Right now there’s a big focus on our defense, everybody’s talking about that and has made a point of emphasis on that,” Clarkson said. “We’re taking account for it.”
In their back-to-back losses, the Jazz have had the worst defensive rating among playoff teams at 128.3 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Led by breakout star Jalen Brunson, the Mavericks guards have wreaked havoc on Jazz defenders by repeatedly attacking the paint and either finishing near the rim, or kicking the ball out to open shooters.
Though the Jazz vowed to fix the issue after Game 2, the Mavericks’ three-point shooting was once again a key factor in Game 3.
“It kind of puts us in rotations,” Clarkson said of the difficulty containing Brunson. “But I feel like that’s somewhere where we’ve just all got to have each other’s back and rotate and communicate.”
The Jazz and Mavericks can be heard on KSL NewsRadio and The Zone Sports Network. The game will be televised on TNT, AT&T SportsNet and FuboTV.
