Jazz Veteran Challenges Rookie Walker Kessler After Career Night
In Saturday night's 121-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Utah Jazz received a career outing from rookie center Walker Kessler. Although it didn't translate to a victory, Kessler was dominant and kept the Jazz in the fight throughout.
After the game, Kessler's veteran teammate Kelly Olynyk gave the rookie his props and challenged him to sustain the momentum.
“He was huge. Great game by him, great effort," Olynyk said from the locker room post-game. "When he runs the floor like that and puts pressure on the rim, that vertical spacing where you can just throw it up where other guys can’t get it, that’s a huge advantage for us. He’s got to keep doing that, keep working to get better, but he was really, really good tonight, and that’s what we need from him.”
Kessler finished with a career-high 31 points, adding 11 rebounds to boot. He only missed two field-goal attempts, finishing the night 14-of-16 from the floor.
Utah needed every point Kessler offered with All-Star Lauri Markkanen sidelined for a second-straight game, as well as the continued (and conspicuous) absence of the team's starting backcourt — Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson. Even the savvy veteran Rudy Gay watched as a spectator in Sacto.
Meanwhile, Olynyk totaled 17 points and 10 assists, flirting, as he is wont to do, with a triple-double. Two more rebounds and Olynyk would have gotten it.
“Just trying to do a little bit of everything to help this team any way I can, whatever that is," Olynyk said. "Get everybody involved on both ends of the floor.”
Kessler and Olynyk both displayed the no-quit mindset that the Jazz have become known for this year. Sustaining that level of buy-in and intensity isn't easy, but it's a mindset Walker and company work hard to cultivate — and it shows.
"We’re all fighters," Kessler said post-game. "Going into this game, we knew that it was going to be a battle, but we knew we weren’t going to quit, regardless of who was sitting or not. Super proud of this team and how they played. Obviously, disappointed we didn’t get the win, but I think it says a lot about our team.”
The Jazz get a night off before returning home to host the No. 4-seeded Phoenix Suns. Currently in possession of the No. 12 seed, the 35-39 Jazz are watching their postseason ambitions slip away with each passing loss as the bench remains fully stocked with injured starters.
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