Jazz Beat Pelicans in OT, 132-129: 3 Winners, 1 Loser
Jordan Clarkson scored a season-high 39 points, while Lauri Markkanen chipped in 31 as the Utah Jazz defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in overtime, 132-129, on Thursday night. Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 31 points in a losing cause.
It was a see-saw affair that could have gone either way, but it was the Jazz that led from start to finish in the overtime period to get their third victory this year over the Pelicans.
Let’s break down the winners and losers as the Jazz improve to 17-14 on the season.
Winner: Walker Kessler
Clarkson and Markkanen may have grabbed the headlines by combining for 70 points, but Utah does not get the win without what Kessler brought to the table. The first-year pro out of Auburn played a season-high 28 minutes and led the Jazz in the +/- column with a +12.
Kessler was a menace on defense as he blocked three shots and altered a handful of others at the rim. Williamson had his way in the paint for much of the night, but not when Kessler was on the floor. Kudos to head coach Will Hardy for giving Kessler a bump in minutes in a game the Jazz lose if the 7-foot big man plays his average of 16 per game.
Loser: Jarred Vanderbilt
With the emergence of Kessler, Vanderbilt may end up being the odd man out down the road. It’s difficult to have Vanderbilt and Kessler on the floor at the same time because of the spacing issues in the half-court sets.
Vanderbilt does a lot on the court, but would Utah be better off making a trade for a power forward that can help with spreading the floor when Kessler is in the game? It’s a question that’s going to be asked at Jazz HQ behind closed doors.
Winner: Jordan Clarkson
When Clarkson gets going, he can score in bunches, but the former Sixth Man of the Year continues to prove he’s much more than a one-trick pony. Along with his 39 points, Clarkson also grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.
Also, he’s been clutch when games have been on the line this year. Clarkson dished on the Jazz coming up big in key moments that have contributed to a 3-0 record in overtime this year.
“Just big plays at the end," Clarkson said. ”We're all grinding, we're all hungry. When it gets down to those clutch moments, we just try to make big shots. All of us down the line. We make big plays throughout the whole season.”
Winner: Jazz Crowd
The crowd at Vivint arena showed up on Thursday night. The Jazz have a true advantage in Salt Lake City as they improved to 11-5 at home.
The energy has been electric this year, and Utah's fan base is one of the few out there that brings a playoff atmosphere to a regular-season game. It’s a shame TNT or ESPN doesn’t have the Jazz on their schedule, but that may change soon if the Jazz continue to stay in the playoff conversation moving forward.
Next for the Jazz is a three-game road trip that starts Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off is at 6:00 pm MST.
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