Jazz Beat Celtics: Talen Horton-Tucker is a Matchup Nightmare
Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 28 points, while Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in 19 as the Utah Jazz defeated the Boston Celtics, 118-117. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 25 points in a losing cause.
The Jazz were playing uphill for most of the night as the Celtics built a 19-point second-quarter lead. However, Utah was still able to get within seven points at halftime, thanks to a 23-11 run to close out the second quarter.
The second half was back and forth, but it was the Jazz that made the plays when it mattered. Utah converted on its last four out of five possessions, followed by a blocked shot by Walker Kessler in the closing seconds to seal the come-from-behind win.
What did we learn in Utah’s big home win? Let’s break it down.
Horton-Tucker is a Matchup Nightmare
'THT' continues to create matchup problems for his opponents. There’s really nobody like him in the NBA.
To put it in perspective, Horton-Tucker is the same height as Boston’s point guard Derrick White, but outweighs him by 44 pounds. He’s also got a 7-foot-1 wing span paired with elite athleticism.
Jazz executive Danny Ainge absolutely fleeced the Los Angeles Lakers in acquiring Horton-Tucker for an aging Patrick Beverly. Whether Horton-Tucker opts out of his contract this summer will be something Jazz fans should be keeping a close eye on.
Walker Kessler Comes Up Big
Kessler continues to show that he’s going to be a force in this league for years to come. The 2022 first-round pick finished the night with 14 points while grabbing a whopping eight offensive rebounds. But the biggest play of the night was Walker’s swat at the rim with three seconds left in the game. Kessler shared his thoughts on the game-winning play afterward.
“We locked up," Kessler said. “We got what we wanted at the basket. Coach trusts me to handle my business. My team trusts me. I had to make up for those free throws. A lot of guys know that I’m a shot blocker, so they pump fake, so I kind of knew the first one was coming. Then when he went for it I just reached out my left hand and got a hand on it.”
Ochai Agbaji Making a Case to Start Next Year
Agbaji has made enormous strides post-All-Star game. The 2022 lottery pick out of Kansas logged 36 minutes on his way to 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting, which included four three-pointers.
Agbaji is still developing offensively, but defensively he provides much more resistance than current starter Jordan Clarkson. It will be interesting to see what Utah does with Clarkson this summer, but the way it’s trending, Agbaji should be the starter next year, whether Clarkson finds his way back to Salt Lake City, or not.
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