Preview: Utah Jazz line up a second date with the Minnesota Timberwolves

I guess the first date went better than advertised?

Summarized by AI ⓘ

What is the story about?

The Utah Jazz endured the first date from hell with the Minnesota Timberwolves

on November 8th. Julius Randle spoke with a mouth full of ribs and absent-mindedly wiped barbecue sauce on his shirt. Rudy Gobert spoke through just about every major moment of Top Gun: Maverick — in French, no less. Anthony Edwards shot Sprite out of his nose (how festive). And it was all topped off with a 137-97 final score that truthfully looks even more competitive than it ever was, if you’d believe that.

Under most

circumstances, a self-respecting victim of such a scarring evening (I think my retinas are permanently tinted green thanks to the NBA Cup-flavored court) would abstain from a second date. The first one went horribly — why subject yourself to another round of punishment? But ‘self-respecting’ isn’t the first word I’d use to describe this year’s edition of the Utah Jazz. And indeed, they’re turning right around for a second helping of suck as they face the T-Wolves in back-to-back contests. This time, Utah gets to welcome their assailants into their home, introduce them to friends, family, and loved ones, all as Jaden McDaniels is sharpening an axe in the backyard.

The Jazz enter this game with a 3-6 record, having lost five of their last six contests and truly free-falling since Walker Kessler’s shoulder surgery. Like Charlotte Lucas, Utah has no money and no prospects, and Minnesota’s apparent magnetism isn’t something the Jazz will take for granted during this dreary and lonesome period (let’s not tell Ryan Smith about the T-Wolves’ recent affair with the Chicago Bul—I mean ‘new-look Sacramento Kings’). All this is to say, the Jazz will take what they’re given, and if that means a repeated outing with the bulky Timberwolves, so be it.

Minnesota stands at 6-4, and on a bit of a hot streak, winning four of their last five games and finding their groove as the NBA Finals contenders they long to be. This time, however, they’re matching up against the Utah Jazz in the hostile environment that is Salt Lake City’s Delta Center (I’ve heard that certain fans were removed for saying… *glances over both shoulders* frick). The T-Wolves are returning to play some more with their food. We can only hope that Utah’s promising youth get a chance to face the danger.

Thanks in large part to the severe scoring difference, Will Hardy emptied his bench and gave Ace Bailey some run, 24 minutes, which he converted into an efficient 12 points, six boards, and three assists. Isaiah Collier returned to the lineup alongside Keyonte George, and neither player seemed comfortable sharing the floor with the other, each coughing up possession more often than gathering assists.

Fortunately, the Jazz faithful aren’t concerned about wins or losses. The scoreboard is an irrelevant piece of trivia at the end of 48 minutes. What Utah wants to see, however, is optimized lineups. Displays featuring their sub-25-year-olds, and a few brief glimmers of competitive play — just for kicks.

Minnesota will play this game to win — Utah’s goals are external to the final score. With that said, if the visitors run up the score once more, we may see Walt Clayton Jr light off a three-point fireworks show, and that would be nice.