Jazz Trump the Heat in SLC, 117-109: 2 Winners, 2 Losers

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Kelly Olynyk chipped in 19 as the Utah Jazz defeated the Miami Heat at the Delta Center, 117-109. Bam Adebayo led all scorers with 28 points in a losing cause.

It was all about the bench in Saturday’s victory. Utah’s reserves combined for 59 points, with Walker Kessler joining George and Olynyk with a double-figure contribution.

The win now puts Utah at 14-19 for the year, and are now only 2.5 games removed from the play-in tournament. Let’s break down the winners and losers, as Utah has won its last seven out of 10 games.

Taylor Horton-Tucker - Loser

It wasn’t 100% clear whether Horton-Tucker had fallen out of the rotation when he received a DNP versus the New Orleans Pelicans, but it’s certain now. ‘THT’ is currently the odd man out and will most likely need an injury to occur in order to see the court again.

There’s an overabundance of rostered ball-dominant guards, and due to Utah’s recent success, ‘THT’s days in Salt Lake City could be numbered. The trade deadline this season is on February 8. Expect the rumor mill to be active in regards to Horton-Tucker.

Will Hardy - Winner

It’s taken a minute, but Hardy has found a rotation that’s working. The combination of Kris Dunn and Sexton starting in the backcourt and Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench is paying dividends.

Sexton is a player who needs the ball in his hands to be effective, while Dunn is a nice compliment due to his defense and not needing a ton of shots to make his imprint on the contest. Also, Clarkson has always thrived as a sixth man and looks much more comfortable since the switch.

Taylor Hendricks - Loser

With a healthy roster, it’s back to the G-League for Utah’s first pick of the 2023 draft. Hendricks showed flashes in his brief stint with the big club, but Utah is too deep in its frontcourt to justify a spot in the rotation.

It’s going to take an injury or a trade to open up a spot for Hendricks moving forward. With Utah’s recent success, seeing what happens at the trade deadline will be interesting. If Olynyk isn’t traded, then it could be a while before Jazz fans see Hendricks again.

Keyonte George - Winner

George showed Jazz fans that he wasn’t afraid of the moment. The ex-Baylor Bear didn’t hesitate to light it up from downtown when the game mattered most in the fourth quarter.

Along with leading Utah’s bench in points, George was 5-for-8 from long distance and finished the contest with a +14 net rating. Despite not being a starter, George is still getting plenty of live reps to develop. George finished the game with 28 minutes on the court and finished the contest as Utah's point guard.

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