Hawks coach had extremely high praise for Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz proved on Thursday that Lloyd Pierce’s praise of the team was warranted.

Prior to his Atlanta Hawks’ game against the Jazz, Pierce lauded Utah. He said that they were the best team they have played this season.

Lloyd Pierce on the Jazz: "They’re the best team we’ve played this year, and I say that strongly. There’s full conviction in their style of play because of the success they’ve had. … I'm not saying they're the best team in the NBA, but they're the best team we've played."

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 4, 2021

The Jazz beat the Hawks 116-92 on Jan. 15. The teams met again on Thursday, with Utah winning 112-91. The large margins of victory were very similar in both games.

Even if Pierce isn’t saying that the Jazz are the best team in the NBA, he is correct that Utah is playing better than any team in the league. The Jazz are 17-5, which is the best mark in the NBA. They recently won 11 games in a row.

This is the second season that Utah has had newcomers Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson playing together. It seems that the players have found their rhythm and are playing cohesively. They’re also motivated after losing in the first round of the playoffs last year.