Jazz HC Will Hardy Dishes Viral Quote After Loss vs. Lakers

During Tuesday night's contest vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, things didn't quite go the Utah Jazz's way as they stumbled to their third-straight loss and second of their NBA Cup run this season, coming up short 118-124.

It was a regular showing from the Lakers' star duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the two combined for 52 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists. Yet, the real standout of the night was rookie Dalton Knecht, who had the best performance of his career during his second-straight start in place of Rui Hachimura.

Knecht finished with a game-high 37 points on nine three-pointers, five rebounds, one steal, and the highest plus-minus of the contest at +18. The damage was seriously done during the second half when Knecht posted 25 points on a 7/9 clip from long range, prohibiting a late-game comeback from Utah.

After the game, third-year Jazz head coach Will Hardy sounded off at the podium on his team's performance, ultimately keeping things blunt concerning the defense on Knecht late in the contest.

"In the second half, it seemed like everybody in the gym knew that Dalton Knecht was going to shoot the next shot, with the exception of a few people. The problem was that those few people were on our team."
Will Hardy after Jazz's loss vs. Lakers

Utah Jazz HC Will Hardy said "everyone knew Dalton Knecht was going to shoot the next shot" except his own players 😬 pic.twitter.com/4FseQvNiK8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 20, 2024

It wasn't all bad for the Jazz on Tuesday night, as we saw Markkanen look back to form as he did last season with 25 points and eight rebounds, while the guard trio of Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson had a big game themselves, each posting 18 or more points on the night. John Collins also continued to show the hot hand as a starter with 18 points and eight rebounds of his own.

However, without a consistent effort on both ends (especially when facing Knecht), it wasn't enough for the Jazz to etch their fourth win of the season on the books. The loss takes them to 0-3 on their current four-game road trip, with one more chance to flip the script before returning home later this week.

The Jazz's next contest takes place on Thursday night, when they travel to take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs for the second time this season, tipping off at 6 PM MT.

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