Utah Jazz: Coach Tyrone Corbin hopes team learned lessons after back-to-back losses

SALT LAKE CITY — While losing two road games, the Utah Jazz believe they relearned valuable lessons.

Simply put, if they don't play hard from tipoff to the final buzzer, they're going to lose a lot more games.

Some New York understudies and an Eastern Conference contender gave them that refresher course in back-to-back losses Monday and Tuesday.

"We've got to play 48 minutes every game we step on the court," power forward Paul Millsap said.

"Obviously," point guard Devin Harris said, "we've just got to give a better effort for 48 minutes."

Utah flipped the switch on for about 20 minutes in the second half Tuesday, allowing the Jazz to storm back and take a lead after trailing by 21 points to the Pacers. The night before Utah's 104-99 loss to Indiana, the Jazz turned up the effort dial for a quarter or so before fizzling down the stretch to a starless squad in New York.

When they play what Al Jefferson calls "Utah Jazz basketball" — defending and executing with energy — this team looks like it belongs in the playoffs. Otherwise, they can't even keep up with the Steve Novaks and Iman Shumperts of the world nor stay within 20 points of a solid team like the Pacers.

They lose to Toronto and Golden State, yet beat the Lakers and Nuggets.

They go 8-2 during a brilliant 10-game period, and follow that with a shaky 4-6 stretch.

Heck, sometimes they're the Globetrotters and the Generals in the same quarter.

"We can play with anybody. But if we don't play with that kind of intensity on both ends of the floor, it's going to be tough for us," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "It's a lesson learned. Hopefully, we can move from this point on. Especially on the road, you can't dig a hole for yourself."

Of course, knowing and doing are two different things.

Jazz players must be accountable for individual actions, Corbin insisted. Team success will follow.

Asked about the Jazz's struggles against point guards on consecutive nights — the Knicks' Jeremy Lin exploded for a career-high 28 points and Indiana's Darren Collison had 25 — Corbin said it isn't just one or two guys who need to improve.

"Everybody's got to give us an effort," he said. "Guys got to make sure we stay between our man and the basket and just continue to work on it."