This season of Jazz basketball has been anything but predictable.
After entering the year predicted to win 24.5 games at the beginning of the season, the Jazz have made a solid effort in proving that number should have been higher. With two wins against the Grizzlies, a revenge win against the Rockets, and a loss to the Nuggets, the Jazz’s continued success has put a damper on “fluke” talk throughout the league.
Through two weeks, the Jazz are neat the top of many per-game categories, including assists (5th), three-pointers made (2nd), and offensive rebounds (5th). The team’s defense is also allowing the fifth-lowest three-point percentage, third-least assists, and forcing the most turnovers per game.
Additionally, Utah is 4-0 at home, making them one of three teams with four home wins so far this season along with Milwaukee and Phoenix.
Playing team basketball
Coach Will Hardy has led a solid team through its first eight games, and is certainly avoiding the “stat-padding” that usually follows teams built like this one.
Six Jazzmen are currently averaging over 10 points per game, led by Lauri Markkanen’s 22.6 average. Jordan Clarkson (16.5), Kelly Olynyk (12.9), Colin Sexton (12.5), Malik Beasley (11.9), and Mike Conley (11.6) are also averaging over double-digit points per game.
Markkanen in particular has shined for the Jazz, averaging 22.6 points and 9.3 rebounds – both lead the team – while adding 2.9 assists and a block per game. Alongside his success, the entire Jazz team has played extremely well. It has translated to the win column in the standings thus far, where the Jazz are currently third place in the Western Conference.
October 26 – vs. Houston
After falling 114-108 in Houston two days earlier, the Jazz made it a mission to get revenge against the Rockets, and they did, winning 109-101.
Led by 20-point performances from Markkanen (24) and Clarkson (20), the Jazz were able to win a game that had both teams missing over 50 shots and shooting under 30% from three.
Despite the apparently close score, the Jazz dominated the game. The Jazz held a 19-point lead around the midway point of the third quarter and only relinquished any lead just twice throughout the game, both in the first half.
The young Rockets were never able to piece together how to come from behind, and the Jazz won in reasonable fashion against the floundering one-win Rockets.
Utah plays the Rockets for the third and final time on January 5 in Houston, where both teams will play to win the season series.
October 28 – @ Denver
Following a 123-102 blowout of the Nuggets to open the season, the Jazz entered their rematch with Denver with high hopes.
However, Utah was not able to put on a repeat performance of their opening night game against the two-time and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, with the Jazz falling to Denver 117-101 as the Nuggets got their revenge on the young Utah squad.
Lauri Markkanen led the effort for the Jazz, scoring 17 points on 50% shooting. Michael Porter Jr. (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Bones Hyland (26 points, 7 three-pointers) showed out for Denver. Being Utah’s first blowout loss of the season, young Jazzmen Leandro Bolmaro (15 min) and Ochai Agbaji (19 min) saw their first major minutes of the season.
Moving to 1-1 on the season against Denver, the Jazz will look to take the lead of the series as play the Nuggets again on December 10th in Denver.
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October 29 – vs. Memphis
Utah played the back end of their second back-to-back of the season against a Ja Morant-less Grizzlies squad. Looking to start off a two-game home stand against Memphis with a win, the Jazz won a high-scoring affair, 124-123.
The textbook example of a game where the Jazz spread the love, Utah was a single point away from having four players scoring 20+ points, as Markkanen (23), Olynyk (23), Clarkson (21), and Sexton (19) put on strong performances. The Grizzlies didn’t miss a beat with Ja Morant sidelined, led by Desmond Bane (32 points), Dillon Brooks (30 points), and Tyus Jones (23 points, 10 assists).
With just over two minutes left in the game, the Jazz found themselves down five to a hot Grizzlies squad. One Lauri Markkanen three-point bucket and Dillon Brooks jumper later, the Jazz had the ball down four.
As someone who attended the game, the final two minutes of this game left Vivint Arena feeling like a playoff game with its electric atmosphere. A Kelly Olynyk layup was followed by a Collin Sexton block, leading to a Kelly Olynyk three-point bucket.
Desmond Bane then missed a three-pointer, and Jordan Clarkson found Malik Beasley for a huge three-point bucket to give the Jazz a four-point lead with 22 seconds left.
Malik Beasley wiggled after his clutch three 🤣@utahjazz move to 5-2 after coming back to beat the Grizzlies pic.twitter.com/Pdpy9IRpSD
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 30, 2022
This 8-point run by the Jazz sealed the game, and despite a spectacular Dillon Brooks three-pointer, the Jazz came away with the victory as the time ran out for Memphis.
October 31- vs. Memphis
Merely two days after the thrilling game against the Grizzlies, the Jazz faced them again on Halloween, this time with Ja Morant.
Despite the All-Star guard playing, the Jazz dominated a discouraged Grizzlies squad 121-105, with Utah leading by as much as 25 points.
For the fourth time in the last five games, Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz in scoring, putting up 31 points and adding 11 rebounds and 4 blocks in his best game of the young season.
Ja Morant put out a strong effort, scoring 37 points, but the Jazz proved that teamwork makes the dream work. Six Jazzmen hit double digits in scoring compared to just three for Memphis. Also of note, Jazz rookie Ochai Agbaji played his third game in a row with major minutes, notching 21 minutes on the floor for Utah.
The Jazz and Grizzlies don’t face off again until 2023, as the Jazz travel to Memphis on January 8th looking to take a 3-0 series lead.
Up next
The Jazz have a tough stretch coming up over the next week, playing three straight games on the road.
They’ll travel to Dallas to battle Luka Doncic and the Mavs (3-3) on Tuesday, Nov. 2 before heading to Los Angeles to face Lebron and the 1-5 Lakers on Thursday, Nov 4.
On the front end of a back-to-back, Utah then plays Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers (3-4) in LA on Sunday, Nov. 6 before returning home to take on the Lakers again on Monday, Nov. 7.
Suffice it to say that the next four games could go any number of ways for a Utah team that has been full of surprises this season.
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All stats via ESPN. Current as of November 2, 2022.
