Utah Jazz instant analysis: Hayward struggling from deep, and DeAndre Jordan is banking in free throws

But the Jazz can only get so much scoring out of Al Jefferson — they need someone else in the starting lineup to significantly contribute and draw all those double teams away. Before he sprained his thumb, that someone alternated between Mo Williams and Randy Foye.

Now that Williams is out indefinitely, teams are more than comfortable to let Jefferson try to make something happen by himself, double-teaming him occasionally, while the rest of the Jazz sit around and watch. As the Jazz are finding out, this is not a recipe for success.

The Jazz are at their best when they force defenders to rush the perimeter. By doing so, they can drive the lane and make defenses collapse, leaving someone open underneath. Jamaal Tinsley is a master of either finding a good shot for himself or finding the open man when the defense collapses.

None of that happens, however, unless (No. 1) the Jazz can improve their outside shooting — Utah shot 41 percent from the field compared to L.A.'s 50 percent — and (No. 2) Utah can move the ball enough to find an open man.

Final notes…

There were eight players who hit double figures in this game. Remarkably, Blake Griffin was not one of them. Griffin scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, also going 1 for 4 from the line. Perhaps he should learn a thing or two from DeAndre Jordan.

Both Los Angeles and Utah had four players in double figures, and both teams had one player with around 30 points.

The only Jazz player with a positive plus-minus rating in this game was Alec Burks. In nearly 15 minutes on the floor, he scored two points, had two assists, and had a plus-minus rating of plus-3.

Landon Hemsley is the sports content manager for DeseretNews.com. Email: lhemsley@deseretnews.com. Twitter: @EarlOfHemsley