Jazz 121, Pelicans 100: Biggest Winners & Losers
The Utah Jazz defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in a lopsided affair, 121-100, on Tuesday night at Vivint Smart Arena. Game-time anticipation was elevated as the Pelicans entered the contest as the top-seeded team in the Western Conference.
The Pelicans roster a number of young and talented players, none more hyped than phenom Zion Williamson. The Pelicans also entered this game with extreme confidence and riding a seven-game winning streak.
But the 801 and its faithful following dismantled New Orleans with relative ease while allowing all dressed players to get in on the team's action.
The Jazz recorded six double-digit scorers, led by Malik Beasley's 21 points coming by way of five three-point shots. The Jazz also received 19 points from both Lauri Markkanen and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and an additional 18 points from Jarred Vanderbilt.
The Pelicans were led by Zion Williamson's 26 points, nine boards, five assists, and two steals, yet he registered a game rating of -15. The negative rating is further proof of how overwhelming the Jazz were over the Pelicans.
Now let's discuss the winners and losers of the contest.
Winner: Jazz Starting Lineup
After the first quarter, the Jazz made the Pelicans resemble an expansion team rather than a top-ranked juggernaut in the West and literally did whatever they wanted. Markkanen recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Kelly Olynyk scored six points with five boards and three assists. Vanderbilt nearly triple-doubled with 18 points, 14 boards, six assists, a block, and a steal. Jordan Clarkson scored 11 points with three assists, a rebound, and a block, while Mike Conley cruised with seven points and six assists.
Even more impressive? All Jazz starters posted a + game rating, led by an off-the-chart +23 from Markkanen. Whatever their pre-game ritual was before the Pelicans game, the Jazz should duplicate it each and every night.
Loser: CJ McCollum
McCollum scored 14 points with six boards and two steals. As the lead point guard, he had zero assists, and folks, this is not a misprint.
McCollum also registered an embarrassing -22 game rating while playing just over 30 minutes, and he apparently forgot he longer plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum was traded to the Pelicans by the Blazers last season, and NBA All-Star Damian Lillard was not there to bail him out of poor play as he often did in Portland.
If this is how the No. 1 seed in the West performs, the Pelicans should hit the film room and figure out how to obtain Victor Wembanyama. Based on McCollum's lead and his team's effort, the Pelicans are headed nowhere.
Winner: Jazz Bench Mob
Utah's bench contribution was plentiful, led by Beasley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Walker Kessler wasted no time flexing his skills with 11 points, and Windexed the glass with 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Kessler assisted in keeping Pelicans center Jonas Valančiūnas in foul trouble and held him below 20 minutes. Valančiūnas indirectly understands he has no distinct advantage over Kessler.
Loser: Pelicans
Calling this contest an absolute letdown would be an understatement, and the Pelicans have a lot of work to do if they want to be considered a legitimate NBA championship contender. Eventually, it looked like the Jazz were working on practice drills and the Pelicans had no answers for Utah's onslaught of execution.
We will have to check the record books when a lead point guard started a game and played 30 minutes, and recorded zero assists with a -22 game rating. I'm not sure I've ever seen that before.
Bottom Line
If the Pelicans meet the Jazz in the playoffs, I think the 801 would advance in six games. As we approach the halfway mark of the season, you would hope teams are scouting potential playoff foes in case they meet in the postseason.
As dynamic as Williamson is, the Jazz have a lot of player size to counteract his unique skill set. One game at a time is the mindset, but the Jazz have shown the Pelicans on multiple occasions that they pose a bad match-up no matter what the game plan entails.
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