Walker Kessler Makes Jazz History in Win vs. Trail Blazers

The Utah Jazz center had a night to remember.

Dec 6, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Jerami Grant (9) dunks the ball over Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

It was a big night for the Utah Jazz en route to their fifth victory of the season over the Portland Trail Blazers, but the same can be said for third-year Walker Kessler as he etched his name into the Jazz history books with another strong performance.

Kessler was among one of the brightest spots in their 141-99 victory, as he posted 13 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks in an impressive showing on both sides of the ball. However, it was one that also had some steeper implications further than the stat sheet.

According to an X post from the Jazz, Kessler has secured an offensive rebound and a block for the Jazz in each of his 16 appearances this season, which extends to the longest streak seen from the franchise to begin a season in the past 40 years.

Walker's now tallied offensive boards and a block in all 16 games he’s played this year, the longest streak by any Utah player to begin a season in the last 40 years 🤠#PerformanceLeader presented by @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/VaOY6kr1Lh

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 7, 2024

Another impressive outing from Kessler on Fridau further adds to an impactful third year in Salt Lake City, averaging career-highs with 11.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks through 16 games-- of course, snagging an offensive rebound and a block in every single one.

The Jazz haven't had too much success on either side of the ball this season, but one area in which they've excelled is their offensive rebounding. Utah doesn't have much to hang their hat on in terms of favorable team statistics, but they do rank top ten (9th) in the NBA for total offensive rebounds. A large component of that revolves around Kessler and his consistency of being a threat and this roster's cornerstone as a glass cleaner.

We'll have to wait and see how long Kessler can keep this up, but as proven through his latest production, it's hard to say he's shown any signs of slowing down any time soon.

Kessler will have a chance to build on his impressive Friday effort come Sunday when the Jazz travel to take on the Sacramento Kings for the third time this season.

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