In the darkest, inner circle of the inferno, the Jazz had fallen into, all Jazz fans wanted was a sign of life that this team was still alive and kicking.
Missing Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr. with an uncertain timetable, a 1-7 start would be detrimental. They’ve battled against top dogs like the Spurs, Blazers and Grizzlies, meaning this was one of the few chances to bounce back as the worst team in the West. Utah had already taken down the Pelicans in their home opener, marking their first
and only win on the season.
New Orleans had been on their own soul-searching journey in their 2026-27 campaign. They lost their first four games on the calendar, three of them coming up short in the clutch. But now, their record stands at 3-4; they handed Memphis their first loss of the year while taking down the Mavs and Kings on the side.
But unfortunately, that well-sought victory was not today. It was certainly the most alive the Jazz have looked all week, but ultimately they still fell into the same lapses that have plagued them all season. The Pelicans stole this one out of the Jazz’s hands, 120-113.
The pace was all over the place in the first quarter. There was even a 2-minute scoring drought for both teams midway through the early going, an early indicator that Utah was going to start yet another game ice-cold from the floor. There are times when you just have to sigh at the Jazz’s attempt to run an offense — using traditional big men as playmaking hubs, force-feeding players when they don’t have the hot hand, and just the lack of team synergy that leads to a possession ending with a shot-chuck at the buzzer. Fortunately, at the hand of Keyonte George, the Jazz answered back to erase an 8-point deficit. They switched away from the three-point line to score 18 of their first 20 points inside the paint.
Then, it was Saddiq Bey’s second quarter. He scored eight consecutive points for New Orleans to give the Pelicans a crescive 9-point lead. Utah missed seven consecutive shots to open up that quarter. It was another ugly one; the lackadaisical passes destroyed any rhythm the Jazz could build. Really, one of the bigger silver linings was holding Zion scoreless in the first half. 2-20 from three. 3-8 from the charity stripe. 13 turnovers. A big energy shift was needed.
And a shift it was. The dynamic went nearly completely in Utah’s favor, turning around what was a tight deficit into a 10-point advantage. George jumpstarted the engine of the offense, pushing his game total to 29. Led by Mo Bamba’s intimidating presence off the bench, the Jazz dominated he glass. Utah out-rebounded New Orleans 38 to 31 up until that point, dropping the Pelicans’ second-chance points to 5 in the third quarter.
But I’d be lying if I said the Jazz could sit back and ride out a confident double-digit victory. New Orleans instantly opened on a 16-2 run to erase Utah’s advantage. Hardy called a timeout about three possessions too late, fuelling the fire for the Pelicans. The two teams battled neck and neck over the next few minutes. A Keyonte floater. Zion free throws. Keyonte and-1. Derik Queen drive. Jaxson Hayes two. The Jazz held a nailbiting 102-102 lead with the final play, then:
The cruel joke played on the Jazz was that George let go of the ball 0.1 seconds too late. We’re headed to OT.
That seemed to light a fire in him, as Keyonte nailed the first two buckets in the overtime period off tough three-point looks. The Pelicans responded with six unanswered points; the Jazz stood no chance against the physicality of Zion and Bey. There were some serious moments in this stretch that questioned whether Will Hardy’s job was on the line (which seems to be the consensus).
The Jazz are firmly positioned in their last spot in the Western Conference, falling well into the lottery delegation zone; their pick was traded to the Grizzlies in the Jackson Jr. trade. While the losses are looming, the competetive nature of the fourth quarter is a fight we needed. Whether the rest will come is still under debate.
Keyonte George: A one man army
It was a rough two-game stretch for Keyonte, resulting in consecutive blowouts, but he had success tonight by dealing most of his damage inside, using his speed to attack the paint and finish with contact at the rim. He was highly disruptive on the defensive end too, chipping in four steals and an unexpected block.
It’s nearly an undeniable fact that Keyonte has had to be ‘the man’ nearly every single night among his peers’ shooting droughts. He’s taken a noticable leap forward as a lead scorer and a focal point of the offense when others have missed time with injury. He looks much more confident creating his own shot and initiating the offense compared to last year.
To float in the Western Conference, this team desperately needs a second initiator/scorer. Wins won’t come off Keyonte alone.
Ace Bailey still contributes when all else fails
There was no other way to describe Ace on the scoring end in this one other than an unfortunate shooting night. While he played relatively well inside the arc, he spent all game searching for his rhythm from deep, having missed all 7 of his 8 of his three-point attempts. He got the looks he wanted, but couldn’t take advantage.
Though it’s not all doom and gloom. Beyond the box score, Ace’s physical presence showed in his off-ball activity. The team used him frequently to absorb switches on the perimeter and cut off driving angles for the monster of muscle, otherwise known as Zion Williamson.
A point of growth in his game has been managing his eagerness to jump at ball fakes. Tonight, he displayed a more grounded, disciplined stance and relied on his standing reach to contest shots without overcommitting. The motor is awesome to watch, no matter how he’s playing on the other end of the floor.
Up Next
Utah drops to 1-7 with this loss and lines up their next matchup in Dallas on Friday night.
