SAN ANTONIO — Jakob Poeltl scored a career-high 20 points last week in Utah, in San Antonio's big loss to the Jazz. He followed that up with a pair of good games against the Los Angeles Lakers, including a 14-point performance Friday night when he sank 6 of 7 shots and also grabbled eight rebounds for the second straight game. He also had three blocked shots.
Although he didn't get big numbers Sunday night against the Jazz (two points, six rebounds), he came up with several big plays, including a couple of key offensive rebounds down the stretch when the Jazz were threatening to get back into the game as well as a blocked shot on a surprised Rudy Gobert.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the main thing Poeltl needs is more minutes, which he is giving to the former University of Utah center as the season has progressed.
"He's someone who needs playing time," Popovich said before Sunday's game. "The more he plays, the more comfortable and confident he's going to be. He's filled his role really well, running the floor and going to the boards and playing good defense. He's a good roll guy in pick and roll. He's done a good job, and the more minutes he's gotten, the better he's played."
Poeltl said he's enjoying his new team after playing for the Toronto Raptors for two seasons. Last year, he played in all 82 games and averaged 6.9 points and 4.8 rebounds on 65.9 percent shooting. This year, he's averaging 6.0 points 4.6 rebounds on 66.7 percent shooting.
"I'm getting used to new team, new teammates," he said. "It took me awhile to get adjusted to it, and it's getting better now."
“He’s someone who needs playing time. The more he plays, the more comfortable and confident he’s going to be.”
Gregg Popovich on Jakob Poeltl
Popovich let Poeltl play the final five minutes in place of LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored 20 points and was playing well, and Poeltl came up with two key offensive boards, including one when he hit a streaking Rudy Gay in the lane for a dunk.
"He's a young kid, but he's been really wonderful in picking things up," Popovich said after the game.
WHERE'S DANTE?: Before the game, Utah coach Quin Snyder said that Dante Exum was still a part of the Jazz's plans despite his sporadic playing time of late.
"I don't want to judge Dante on any one game or any one week or any one month, frankly," Snyder said. "Dante's ability, his character, his work ethic are the things that are going to help him improve over time."
Exum had scored 15 points in 22 minutes in Thursday's win over Houston, just two days after he played two minutes against Miami and less than a week after he didn't leave the bench in a win at Charlotte. But he got only two minutes again Sunday night as he never came back in after committing a turnover and a foul in the first quarter.
"You try not to make mistakes, but they're naturally going to happen, hardly anyone has a perfect game," Exum had said a couple of days earlier. "It's doing your best while you're out there. I'm going out and give 100 percent and that's all I can ask for."
JAZZ NOTES: Monday's game in Oklahoma City will be the first against the Thunder since last year's six-game playoff series, which the Jazz won. … In last year's playoff series, the Jazz won one of three games in Oklahoma City, taking Game 2 102-95. … In last year's regular-season games, OKC won the games, which were played in December, coming from behind for a 100-94 win on Dec. 5 and blowing out the Jazz 107-79 on Dec. 20. … The Jazz shot 43.5 percent Sunday compared to 52.8 percent for San Antonio. … The Spurs won the rebound battle 49-47.
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2rtBLhV
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