With 5:33 left in the fourth quarter against the Trail Blazers, Thabo Sefolosha subbed in for Derrick Favors, giving Utah a four-wing lineup. For the remaining 10:33 of game time until Utah won, there were no substitutions.
With Joe Johnson out for the next two weeks, was Quin Snyder planning to close the game playing small?
The Jazz (5-3) aren’t committed to any hard counts for any kind of lineups, not even with the absence of Johnson who has embedded himself into the closing group since joining the club in 2016. While playing Rudy Gobert, Ricky Rubio, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles and Sefolosha may have worked against the Blazers, Snyder said he’s not committed to keep closing with it.