4 Takeaways from Jazz's 118-111 Loss to Knicks
The New York Knicks outlasted the Utah Jazz, 118-111, in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night. In a see-saw battle for the majority of the game, it was the Knicks that landed the knockout punch in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Jazz 35-26.
It felt like the first team that could put together a substantial run would be declared the winner of this one. The NBA is a game of momentum, and despite being at home, it was one step forward and one step back all night for the Jazz.
The Knicks couldn't separate either in a game that saw 25 lead changes through three quarters. But in the middle of the final period, it was the Knicks that finally broke through, outscoring the Jazz 19-4 over a five-minute span and putting the game to bed.
What did we learn in Utah’s third consecutive loss? Let’s break it down.
The Jalen Brunson Show
The Jazz don’t have the size in the backcourt to match up with Brunson and his back-to-the-basket post-up game. The ex-Dallas Maverick picked up right where he left off when Utah was eliminated from the postseason last year.
Brunson finished the game with 25 points while dishing out 10 assists. His strengths are playing in half-court sets, and the Knicks controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish.
Crowd Energy Missing
The Salt Lake City crowd has been something else during Utah’s early-season surge, but it was a disengaged group on Tuesday night. There wasn’t much to cheer about as the Jazz were flat out of the gates.
Although, in the players' defense, that’s common in the first home game after a grueling road trip. Fans should expect more energy the next time around, as Utah will get two days' rest before a home game against the Phoenix Suns.
Turnover City
Utah turned the ball over a staggering 21 times, which resulted in the Knicks taking 10 more shots than the Jazz. Shooting guard Jordan Clarkson led the team with five turnovers, while Talen Horton-Tucker had three in just 14 minutes on the court.
Head coach Will Hardy took note in his post-game interview.
"Tough game. Guys battled," Hardy said. ”I think for large portions of the game, we played the way we wanted to play. We had a lot of costly turnovers. Some good looks that we missed at key times in the game."
Utah is now averaging 16.1 turnovers a game which is in the bottom-third of the league.
Fontecchio Makes Case for Rotation Spot
The rookie sharpshooter from Italy took advantage of veteran Rudy Gay not playing due to a sore wrist. Simone Fontecchio scored nine points on a trio of three-pointers while grabbing four rebounds in just 17 minutes of action.
It’s unknown how long Gay will be on the shelf, but Fontecchio has made his case for being a permanent fixture of the rotation. He was signed to a two-year deal in the offseason. Expect the young prospect to leapfrog Gay at some point this season on the depth chart.
