Ante “Antetozizpo” Zizic was a major factor in this game not being an absolute embarrassment of a blowout. The Cavs had 60 points after three quarters (three of them thanks to Zizic), which isn’t so bad by itself, but the Jazz had 93 in the same span, and if things had proceeded as they had for the first three quarters, the game was going to end in a 50-point win for the Jazz.
Enter Ante Zizic. Racking up 13 of the Cavs’ 39 in the quarter, Zizic made sure that his team could get on the team plane without wearing bags over their heads. He did it by running the pick and roll to perfection and by establishing deep post position on several possessions. His post position was so deep that the chucktastic Cavs guards had no choice but to give the rock to him, where he scored with a deft touch (“deft touch” is a euphemism for “lucky bounces”).
I was going to ask when Zizic’s improved play earns him a bigger role in the offense, so that I get cred with all the Croatians out there, but realistically, Zizic isn’t so good that he deserves considerably more touches than he’s already getting. If you gave him more touches he would just get worse. His ceiling? Primoz Brezec 1.2 with more ability to play bully ball.