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In the moments following Utah's 120-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jazz coach Quin Snyder was emphatic about the contribution of Derrick Favors.
"We don't win this game without Derrick," Snyder said.
After sitting out a month with knee pain, Favors played only 16 minutes in Friday night's victory at Vivint Smart Home Arena. But they were vital to the Jazz winning their 49th game of the season and staying a full game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers in the fight for the fourth spot in the Western Conference.
Favors scored 13 points in those 16 minutes. He grabbed five rebounds and shot 6 of 9 from the field. More importantly, he looked like the old Derrick Favors, the one who tries to dunk everything at the rim. He had five of those against Minnesota, a sign that his knee is truly feeling better. His only non-dunk of the night was a jumper in the lane.
It was quite the performance in a short amount of time for Favors. And in 16 minutes, the power forward showed Jazz fans exactly how he can help Utah come playoff time.
"It felt good," Favors said. "It felt good to just play basketball again and be healthy. I just wanted to come out here and make plays."
The Jazz picked a good time for Favors to return, because he was sorely needed. Center Rudy Gobert ran into foul trouble Friday, picking up his third foul 1.3 seconds before the halftime buzzer. He picked up his fourth foul on the first defensive possession of the second half. He picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter.
That meant Favors was more than a luxury, he was a need. And he delivered.
Favors was there defensively against Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns. Offensively, he provided a viable target for the Jazz perimeter guys in the pick-and-roll game. He was the kind of two-way presence that he's been in the past.
Favors said he didn't know whether he was going to play Saturday in Portland against the Trail Blazers. He said he and the training staff would ice the knee, do his regular treatment and see how he feels around game time.
He did say he wants to keep improving, keep his minutes increasing, so that he can be a factor in the playoffs against the Clippers. Friday night provided a good start in that direction.
"We couldn't have scripted that game," Snyder said. "I mean, he's going to play, Rudy's going to get in foul trouble. No question, tonight is a loss without Derrick Favors. Great to have him back. He's going to keep getting better and getting stronger. So it's good to have him back."
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