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The Jazz went into this game coming off their first win a few days before against the New Orleans Pelicans, marking a 1-1 record, and this Sunday evening they welcomed the 2-0 Lakers to Salt Lake City. The 2-0 Lakers were headlined by former Jazzman Walker Kessler, who’s impressed through his first two games, getting high praise from some of the game’s all-time greats like Shaquille O’Neal, who called Kessler the best big in the game on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA.” All that being said, it’s safe to say the stage was set for a standout event.
Going into the game, the Jazz started out flaming hot, winning the first quarter 47-29, capped off by a buzzer-beating bank three from Lauri Markkanen that extended the lead to 18. Ace Bailey was the standout. In just 8 minutes of first-quarter play, Bailey put up 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, with 7 rebounds and a block. Five of those rebounds were offensive, and several of them led to easy bunnies for Bailey.
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Keyonte George must’ve thought it was Thanksgiving time, not Halloween, with the way he was distributing the ball with glee in the first quarter. He finished the game with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists, falling just short of a triple-double, with 7 of those 10 assists coming in the first fourth of the game.
The Jazz were just dominant in the first quarter, showing flashes of what this team can eventually be capable of once they grow older. Unfortunately, the team is young, and the first quarter was an anomaly in this game.
Instantly, from the second quarter, the Lakers were able to relax and pick on the Jazz. Austin Reaves gave the Jazz some problems. Wings like Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams were often found wide open, and they capitalized.
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Kessler, in his return to Utah, struggled. He found himself in foul trouble, only playing 28 minutes and posting just 2 points with 7 rebounds. He wasn’t why the Jazz lost this game. That being said, for both sides, I personally don’t think the Jazz win this game if they have Kessler. They lost this game because they instantly allowed the Lakers back into the game after a dominant…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/utah-jazz-fall-short-against-003245483.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-26 00:32:00
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