Ricky Rubio left the floor after Game 3 on Saturday night with a half-grin on his face, half-satisfied at the halfway juncture of eliminating the Thunder in the Jazz’s first-round playoff series — two wins down, two to go. He was physically and emotionally embraced by his teammates on his way out.
Just as he was by the Vivint Arena crowd at the end of the third quarter when he hit a bomb at the buzzer to hand the Jazz a 14-point lead, all as the fans chanted: “Ru-bi-o … Ru-bi-o … Ru-bi-o.”
It was all reminiscent of the celebrated hug shared between Quin Snyder and Rubio moments after the Jazz qualified for the playoffs, which was more than a small token of congratulation.