SALT LAKE CITY: The smile was contagious.
From a room in the bowels of the Living Arena, pure joy sprang from Jarrell Brantley and permeated everyone who witnessed the boyish smile that spread across his face.
“It’s amazing,” Brantley said, with a bright, ever-widening smile. “Those moments are amazing. Today has been amazing. I don’t know what tomorrow is, but today has been amazing.”
On Tuesday, the rarely used striker lived the dream he has been so close to getting on a regular basis. He scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shots and grabbed four rebounds in 22 minutes in Utah’s 106-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Jazz were without Royce O’Neale, Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles on Tuesday – they needed someone who could give them a promotion. They found him on his front booking with a two-way contract.
“I kind of feel like things are going on on this team,” Brantley said when asked if he expected this big role on Tuesday. “But at the same time, I try to tell myself every day that I will play, even if I know there is no shot, but I prepare myself mentally to be prepared and useful for my team. So I believe in many ways, I’ve been preparing for this moment since the beginning of the season. “
Regular NBA rotations are usually 8 to 10 players. For deep bench players, it’s hard to get time on the court. Brantley has played in 17 games this season, but they have all entered the garbage service. A few seconds here, a couple of minutes there, all of them insignificant for the result.
On Tuesday, Brantley gave way at the start of the second quarter with the Jazz down 9 points. Suddenly, he had to play an important role. When he left, he had already gotten a throw, caught a rebound and helped a 3-pointer from Donovan Mitchell that made the Jazz go up. Brantley had a plus / minus of the team in the first half.
“Most players at some point have heard,‘ Keep working, be prepared, you’ll never know when your opportunity will present itself, ’and JB has done a great job just doing just that,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. .
And he wanted to prove to his teammates that he was ready when he was on the court. While Oklahoma City threw free throws, Brantley headed to Mitchell and the two seemed to have a detailed conversation, pointing out points on the court.
“I try to pick Don’s brain as best I can; and honestly in those times I want them to feel comfortable understanding that I’ve been paying attention,” Brantley said. “I want them to know that I know their movements and that they can depend on me.”
Georges Niang, who started his first game of the season with the win, knows the happiness Brantley felt on Tuesday. He’s been on his skin (with a two-way, inactive, almost short-term contract) and knows how hard it is to devote himself to all the work and rarely see results.
“The boy got to work and had to go out there tonight and show it,” Niang said.
Brantley scored eight of his 10 points in the second half, and his triple with 8:46 in the end gave the Jazz their biggest advantage of the night at 25.
“I don’t mean he didn’t impress us because we know he’s capable of it, but we were obviously impressed to see him do it in a game,” Niang said. “But the most important thing, is that he’s very happy for him, because I know the hassle of being in two directions and getting your chances and wanting to achieve a grand slam, and he definitely did, so I’m happy. that he has gone out there and acted and played as well as he did. “