3 Positive Takeaways From Jazz’s 126-119 Comeback Win vs. Raptors
Despite falling into a 16-point hole in the first half, the Utah Jazz put together an incredible second-half performance to bounce back and defeat the Toronto Raptors, 126-119. It was their largest comeback win of the season, effectively taking this team to a 2-1 record on their current road stretch.
There was a ton to love from the guys tonight on both ends of the floor. It’s never easy to walk into an environment like Toronto and take home a win, yet that’s what the Jazz managed to do.
Here are three positive takeaways from the Jazz’s comeback win vs. the Raptors on Saturday night.
Lauri Markkanen Looks Back To 100%
After missing a chunk of games earlier in the month and sitting out the team’s most recent back-to-backs, Lauri Markkanen showed out in this one. In 38 minutes, he dropped a tied team-high of 30 points, combined with nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Markkanen started a bit slower in his first few games returning from injury, but this game was anything but that. It was an all-around effort for the All-Star, providing impact as a scorer, rebounder, facilitator, and defender. It’s the type of effort Lauri needs to produce for the Jazz to stay consistently competitive.
Considering the type of outing he had, along with playing 20 of the team’s final 24 minutes in the second half, we can assume Markkanen is back to full speed after suffering a hamstring injury that kept him out for a while.
It’ll be interesting to see how HC Will Hardy continues to manage Lauri on back-to-backs after holding a pretty conservative approach on injuries for this roster this season. However, if this game showed us anything, it seems like it might be time to fully unleash The Markksman.
Jordan Clarkson’s Impact as a Sixth Man
Finally returning after being out of the lineup for the past six contests, Jordan Clarkson came back vs. the Raptors looking like he hadn’t lost a step. Coming off the bench, Clarkson posted a stellar 30 points, three rebounds, and six assists, all on very appealing efficiency (50.0/44.4/100). His 16 points in the fourth quarter were what really put this game in the hands of Utah.
While Jordan started the year off a bit shaky as a nightly starter, he showed out very nicely in a return to his sixth-man role. We’ve seen how productive he can be as a spark plug off the bench, given he won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2021. If he continues to have nights like this, it’ll be hard not to keep him there.
Combine this with the effectiveness we’ve recently seen from Collin Sexton as a starter, it almost makes the decision that much easier for Will Hardy. That trend continued in tonight’s game, where he put up 16 points on 45.5% shooting from the field.
The Jazz are 4-2 in their last six games since Sexton has been a starter. Simply, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Clarkson is more than capable of handling the second unit, and it may just be the right direction to go.
An Incredible Night for Kris Dunn
While the highlights of the game go to 30-bombs from Clarkson and Markkanen, it was also a stellar night for Kris Dunn. After getting the nod to start, he produced an extremely effective 13 assists on only two turnovers in 34 minutes. Surprisingly, the amount of PT he secured was second to only Lauri.
Seeing Dunn get more opportunities in the Jazz lineup has been something fans have been coveting since seeing his production at the end of last season. Now when finally given the chance, he delivered. Combine this with his eight points and eight rebounds; he nearly put up a triple-double.
Without Keyonte George in the lineup, it’s opened the door to get Dunn sizeably more involved in the rotation. Once the rook returns from his foot injury, his role might see a bit of an adjustment. For now, though, the Utah offense will be in good hands when Kris is facilitating the unit.
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