Cavaliers 124, Jazz 116: Three Key Takeaways
The Utah Jazz could not make hay against the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite Donovan Mitchell's absence, falling 124-116 in the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Jazz never stopped competing in this contest but fell victim to the three-point line.
The Cavs connected on 23-of-51 shots behind the arc led by former Utah State Aggie Sam Merrill. The Jazz will attempt to shake off the rust on Thursday night when they face the Detroit Pistons, who have lost 24 straight games.
As we begin the postmortem on Jazz-Cavs, what did we learn from this game? Here are my three key takeaways.
Sexton Remains Impressive
Collin Sexton played with revenge on his mind against the team that originally drafted him No. 8 overall in the 2018 NBA draft. He logged 34 minutes and scored 20 points, along with two assists.
Sexton also has shown an ability to be equally effective in games as a starter or in a reserve role. The relentless pressure and undeniable foot speed have his name on opponents' scouting reports with regularity.
At 24 years of age, Sexton will surely remain in Utah as an intracule part of the Jazz basketball future. I'm not a fan of trades for a variety of reasons, but the Jazz have landed a gem with the acquisition of Sexton, and the Cavaliers have missed him. This was Sexton's sixth consecutive 20-point game.
Markkanen's All-Star Selection is No Fluke
Lauri Markkanen continues to stuff statistical sheets with eye-popping numbers. He scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and is basically a walking double-double machine every night the Jazz take the floor.
Building a team around or with Markkanen makes Utah's future plans quite bright. Markkanen has the intangibles to play up to four positions on the court and is another player the Jazz acquired via trade.
Markkanen was another part of the haul Utah extracted from the Cavaliers in the Mitchell trade last year, making the Jazz 'the Kings of the Heist.' The jury may still be out, but as of right now, the Jazz are clearly winners of the Mitchell exchange.
Fontecchio Continues to Struggle
Simone Fontecchio was not in tune with his team on Wednesday ight. Jazz head coach Will Hardy continues to trust 'Italian Jordan' and awarded him with nearly 36 minutes against the Cavs.
Unfortunately, Fontecchio failed to reach double-digit scoring and contributed to Merrill scoring 27 points, including eight three-point makes. Fontecchio is responsible for defending the opposing team's best wing scorer in his more recent role.
These kinds of performances will remove you from the good graces of playing time while getting cozy on the bench. Maybe Fontecchio will hit the film room and examine a more positive path to extend help to his teammates.
Hopefully the Jazz will be more prepared for the Pistons. No team wants a 24-game losing streak to come to an end on itwatch, and definitely not during the holidays.
Follow Inside The Jazz on Facebook and X.
Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Jazz news videos and live-stream!
