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Jazz

The USA Men&rsquo;s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas. This Canadian team features a multitude of NBA talents, just like Team USA. Led by 2024 NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 2023 NBA Champion Jamal Murray, Team Canada is poised to give Team USA all the headaches and possible roadblocks in its pursuit of gold.&nbsp;
With all things considered, here&rsquo;s what Team USA could do to stamp their dominance against their neighboring rivals up North and send a message to the rest of the world eager to challenge their throne.
Dump the ball to Joel Embiid and let him go to work
Perhaps the most dominant basketball player in the world right now, there&rsquo;s probably nobody who could guard Joel Embiid one-on-one today on God&rsquo;s green earth. A 7-foot-2 big man blessed with skill, size, finesse, and power, Embiid&rsquo;s complete game will be a main problem for Team Canada. Among the frontliners they could throw at Embiid are Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Lyles but none of them - on paper and quick eye test - are quick or strong enough to deter Embiid and his dominance. Embiid dominated some of the league&rsquo;s best defensive players, putting up 50 points on 4-time DPOY Rudy Gobert and scoring 70 points in phenom Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s head last season.
Team USA should quickly take advantage of this opportunity and run the offense through Embiid and make Team Canada send double teams at him. That&rsquo;s when advantages and opportunities will open up to the rest of the guys like LeBron cutting to the rim or Durant and Curry spotting up for wide-open threes. It could be a pick-your-poison type of game where Team Canada could let Embiid play one-on-one and destroy them inside the paint or double him and risk putting two on the ball creating opportunities for the rest of Team USA.
Get into lots of screening actions to create advantages and confuse the defense
Team Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength will be their on-ball perimeter defense. Among Dillon Brooks, Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, they will have long wings that could disrupt passing lanes and wreak havoc on the perimeter, creating easy baskets in transition. Canada&rsquo;s a relatively young team with most players in their athletic prime so they would definitely take advantage of their biggest strength and make it their main style of play.
To counter this, Team USA could involve their players in more screening actions to create advantages on offense and confuse Canada&rsquo;s defense. They should also incorporate slips and slides in those screens and in the pick and rolls for cutters and shooters to get open shots. By doing this, Team USA will negate Canada&rsquo;s biggest strength and create easy and quality looks against their vaunted perimeter defense.
Play defense
It&rsquo;s no secret that Team USA&rsquo;s core players are aging and nearing the end of their athletic peaks. Although being the superstar basketball players that they are and still being at the top of their offensive games, Team USA&rsquo;s defense will be suspect here and would probably be the main attacking point of their opponents. Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, and Derrick White will have their work cut out for them in the perimeter right from the get-go as Team USA could be punished by a guard-heavy offensive team like Team Canada.&nbsp;
Team USA might outscore everyone, but you can make them work on the other side of the floor, and this could be Canada&rsquo;s main mindset coming into the game. Despite the top-end talent and superstar-level shot-making on offense, Team USA should put more effort on the defensive end of the floor if they want to win this game.

The USA Men’s National Basketball will face arguably their biggest threat in the Olympics in Team Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas.

USA vs CAN preview: 3 things Team USA could do to win exhibition game against Canada

The Utah Jazz are finalizing a deal to send Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kira Lewis, Otto Porter Jr. and a 2024 first-round pick, according to <a href="https://x.com/wojespn/status/1755615780115267771?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.</a>
Olynyk, a 6-foot-11 center/power forward, is currently averaging 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 50 games. Agbaji, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 51 games this season. This trade gives the Raptors shooting and additional spacing around young star Scottie Barnes and recent acquisitions Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.
Lewis, a 6-foot-1 guard, has rarely played this season. He was traded from New Orleans to Toronto earlier in the year, and now he moves again to Utah. Lewis has only appeared in 16 total games, averaging just 2.8 points and 1.1 assists.&nbsp;
Porter, a 6-foot-8 forward and a 2022 champion with the Golden State Warriors, also has appeared in just 15 games for the Raptors and he&rsquo;s averaging just 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds.
The 2024 first-round pick to the Jazz will be the least favorable of Thunder/Clippers/Rockets/Jazz in 2024, according to Wojnarowski.
This move indicates the Jazz are focused on developing their younger players after also trading starting forward Simone Fontecchio to Detroit yesterday. This likely means more minutes for their 2023 lottery pick Taylor Hendricks at the 4 and Walker Kessler starting at the 5 more often.

The Jazz are trading Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors in exchange for Kira Lewis, Otto Porter Jr. and a 2024 first-round pick.

Raptors acquire Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji from Jazz

What seemed to be a lost season for the Utah Jazz has suddenly turned around due to the team's recent success, winning 15 of their last 21 games.&nbsp;
After starting just 7-16, the Jazz have since gone 11-4 and are now in contention for one of the Western Conference's play-in spots. They&rsquo;ve had an incredible week thus far, with wins over the contending Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.
The win over the defending-champion Nuggets proved that the Jazz can hang with any team on any given night. Denver was 18-0 against sub-.500 teams entering the game, but Utah stained their erstwhile unblemished slate.
How did the Jazz do it? Let's take a look at some of the things they did to upend the Nuggets.
The Jazz stretched the floor&nbsp;
With John Collins starting at center instead of Walker Kessler, Utah's game plan was to pull Nikola Jokic from the paint. Jokic, who&rsquo;s usually a drop-big on defense, almost always stays near the shaded area in pick-and-roll actions. Utah tried to take advantage of this early by hunting out threes and exploiting the point-of-attack defenses of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Four of their first five attempts were three-pointers and they connected on two to jump out to an early lead.
Denver tried to counter by running zone, leaving Collins open a couple of times in the first quarter. However, Collins made them pay by hitting two threes, as Jokic was more than content to leave him open for threes. This allowed the Jazz to get rolling even more and gave them the freedom to attack the basket and get downhill.
Another possession in the zone found Reggie Jackson and Jokic in a miscommunication, leading to Jordan Clarkson drilling an easy 10-foot jumper. When the Nuggets tried to switch up their defense back to a man-to-man, the Jazz found the answer with some off-ball movement and timely cuts to the rim. Overall, it was an offensive clinic that caught the defending champs off guard.
The Jazz mixed their coverages on Jokic and gave him different looks on defense
You can't entirely stop an all-world talent like Nikola Jokic, you could only hope to contain him, which is still really tough considering how talented he is and his ability to get his teammates involved.
Although he still put up a monstrous stat line of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists on an absurd 8-of-9 shooting from the field, what the Jazz and Will Hardy did was mix-up coverages on him. They showed multiple defensive looks each time down, which partly confused Jokic as he committed 6 turnovers in the game.
Sometimes, it was single coverage; other times, they sent doubles at him. Three different players &mdash; Lauri Markannen, Collins and Kessler &mdash; each took turns guarding him and all three provided different looks on the Joker. Markannen used his strength, Collins had his quickness and quick hands, while Kessler provided verticality with his 7-foot-1 frame.
The Jazz also sent different doubles at Jokic, sometimes crowding him in the paint with early double-teams, breaking up his low-post attacks with guards doubling him, and sending late doubles with another big or using a help weakside defender to try to affect him as he attempted a shot.
All of these defensive coverages were designed to make Jokic feel uncomfortable with different styles thrown at him, and the Jazz were successful at that with this blowout win.&nbsp;
Will Hardy figured out the rotations and had the Jazz playing with confidence
Although their defense is still suspect, the Jazz&rsquo;s offense has been nothing but spectacular. This can be attributed to head coach Will Hardy figuring out his rotation and which players synergize well together. This impressive run over their last 20 games started when Hardy made Kris Dunn, Collin Sexton, Simone Fontecchio, Lauri Markannen and John Collins the starting five. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk provide stability as veterans while second-year guys Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji help out on defense with their length and tenacity.
Utah&rsquo;s offense was on full display against Denver, picking them apart with set plays and off of read-and-react actions. Although the Nuggets were coming off two days of rest and just an hour flight, the Jazz capitalized on their momentum and pounced right from the start.
Markannen has picked up right where he left off in last season&rsquo;s All-Star campaign, maintaining his shooting and scoring while improving his ball-handling this season. He&rsquo;s much better off the dribble now, which makes him one of the most coveted (if not most coveted) trade targets as the Feb. 8 deadline approaches.
Clarkson has also learned to move the ball more since being back to his regular sixth man role while continuing to score the ball effectively, and it has produced good results.
Dunn and Sexton allow the Jazz to play with pace and energy on both sides of the floor and their efforts are infectious.
Despite all of the trade rumors swirling around this team and rival teams trying to pry their players away, GM Danny Ainge and coach Will Hardy deserve credit for helping the Jazz build good habits and play the right way, which has resulted in beautiful basketball all around.&nbsp;

What seemed to be a lost season for the Utah Jazz has suddenly turned around, as they have won 15 of their last 21 games.

How the Utah Jazz earned their statement win over the Denver Nuggets

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder strengthened their hopes of reaching the play-in tournament with a 114-98 victory over the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Josh Giddey had 17 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins scored 15 for the Thunder, who snapped a three-game losing streak. They are 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.
Kris Dunn had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Jazz, who were eliminated from postseason contention.
The Jazz played a 1-3-1 zone that flustered Oklahoma City in the first half, but the Thunder attacked it with patience later on and got plenty of open looks.
With most of their shooters on the bench with injuries, the Jazz made a season-low five 3-pointers on 31 attempts.
When the Jazz trimmed the lead to 75-74, Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first seven of a 19-2 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take command of the game.
Kelly Olynyk, who had 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and Dunn were the only Utah players available averaging 10 or more points. Jordan Clarkson (finger), Rudy Gay (back), Talen Horton-Tucker (ankle), Walker Kessler (concussion) and Lauri Markkanen (hand) were all injured.&nbsp;
Even Collin Sexton, who returned after missing 18 games with a strained hamstring Tuesday against the Lakers, sat out.
Both teams had modest expectations this season but have chalked up surprising wins along the way and stayed competitive in most games.
The Thunder are still very young but further down the rebuilding road than the Jazz and have 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returning next season. The Jazz have a bevy of draft picks in the coming years to similarly build back toward contention.
The Thunder led by as many as 16 in the first half before the Jazz closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 55-52 after the second of Olynyk&rsquo;s two three-point plays in the surge.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Despite playing without anyone over 6-foot-8 for much of the game, the Thunder gathered 17 offensive rebounds. &hellip; OKC shot 26 free throws to Utah&rsquo;s 16. &hellip; Dario Saric had a season-high two blocks, his first rejections since coming from Phoenix in a Feb. 9 trade.
Jazz: Juan Toscano-Anderson fell hard just before the end of the third quarter and left the court holding his right elbow, but came back to play in the fourth. &hellip; Utah outscored Oklahoma City 36-16 in the paint in the first half. &hellip; The inexperienced Jazz had 19 turnovers.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Finish the regular season at home Sunday against Memphis.
Jazz: Host Denver on Saturday.&nbsp;

Oklahoma City is 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Dallas with one game remaining.

Thunder beat Jazz 114-98, strengthen play-in hopes

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 37 points &ndash; including the game-winning basket &ndash; to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 135-133 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
Anthony Davis tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers. Austin Reaves added 28 points. Five players scored in double figures to help Los Angeles win for the seventh time in eight games.
Kelly Olynyk finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead Utah. Talen Horton-Tucker added 23 points and seven assists for the Jazz. Horton-Tucker has scored 123 points over his last four games. Ochai Agbaji chipped in 22. The Jazz lost for the seventh time in eight games.
James drove for a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds left to help the Lakers escape with a win. Los Angeles held Utah without a basket over the final 1:38 after Olynyk gave the Jazz a 132-129 lead on a three.
Utah rallied from a double-digit deficit after shooting 71% from the field in the third quarter. The Jazz finally took their first second-half lead on back-to-back baskets from Collin Sexton and Luka Samanic, going up 99-97 early in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles retook the lead on back-to-back baskets from Dennis Schroder and James and went up 124-114 with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter on eight straight points from Reaves.
Utah countered with an 10-0 run to force overtime. Olynyk scored a basket and assisted two others and Jones knotted the score on a pair of free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
TIP INS
Lakers: Reaves is averaging 20.5 points over his last eight games. Los Angeles has lost once in that stretch. &hellip; James, Davis, and Reaves combined for 18 assists, dishing out six apiece.
Jazz: Samanic made his first start of the season, finishing with 12 points. &hellip; Sexton returned to action after missing 18 games with a hamstring strain. He scored 15 points and had three assists in 16 minutes.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Jazz: Host Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.&nbsp;

Five players scored in double figures to help Los Angeles win for the seventh time in eight games.

LeBron's game-winner lifts Lakers past Jazz in OT

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Mikal Bridges had 30 points and seven rebounds, helping the Brooklyn Nets move closer to clinching a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference by holding off the Utah Jazz 111-110 on Sunday.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 17 points and 12 assists, his eighth double-double in 23 games for Brooklyn, and Cam Johnson had 18 points. The Nets won their third straight, and fourth in their past five games, opening a two-game lead over Miami for the No. 6 seed and dipping their magic number to two to clinch the last guaranteed playoff spot in the East.
Talen Horton-Tucker scored 32 points and Lauri Markkanen had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz, who lost for the fifth time in six games and are 12th in the West, two spots behind the last play-in spot. Ochai Agbaji had 19 points.
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Brooklyn led by 11 at halftime then outscored Utah 28-15 over a span of 10 1/2 minutes between the third and fourth quarters to build a 23-point lead. Bridges had 17 of his 19 second-half points in the third quarter.
Horton-Tucker scored 15 in the fourth and Utah outscored Brooklyn 42-26 in the quarter. The Jazz used a 26-8 run to cut Brooklyn&rsquo;s lead to one and had a chance to win after Seth Curry missed two free throws, but Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s jumper at the buzzer went long.
Markkanen, who leads the Jazz by averaging 25.7 points per game, started just 2 for 8 from the field and was held scoreless until the 7:21 mark of the second quarter. Brooklyn held Utah to just 42 first-half points, the second-fewest of any first half this season, and the Jazz made just 8 of 32 3-pointers in the game.
Brooklyn made 13 of its first 25 shots, including four of its first seven 3-pointers, and used a 20-5 run to build a 34-19 second-quarter lead.
TIP-INS
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Jazz: Forward Rudy Gay (lower back) missed his sixth straight game, and guards Jordan Clarkson (left ring finger) and Collin Sexton (left hamstring) were also inactive. &hellip; Horton-Tucker started his 18th straight game, and Agbaji started his 16th in a row. &hellip; With one Sunday, Markkanen added to his NBA record for single-season 3-pointers among 7-footers (200)
Nets: Dinwiddie led the NBA with 146 assists in March. He is averaging 8.7 per game in 23 games since the Nets acquired him from Dallas in the Kyrie Irving trade Feb. 6.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host the Lakers on Tuesday
Nets: Host Minnesota on Tuesday

The Brooklyn Nets moved closer to clinching a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference by holding off the Utah Jazz 111-110 on Sunday.

Nets hold off Jazz 111-110, move closer to playoff berth

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 11 assists, Jamal Murray finished with 26 points and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 on Saturday night in a late-season showdown of the NBA&rsquo;s conference leaders.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points for West-leading Denver (50-24), which outscored East-leading Milwaukee 68-40 in the second half.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points -- just seven in the second half -- and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bucks (53-20).
The battle of the top teams in each conference -- and two strong MVP candidates -- was more competitive than the teams&rsquo; first meeting, won by the Bucks 107-99.
SUNS 125, 76ERS 105
PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker scored 29 points, Bismack Biyombo added 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, and the Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game losing streak.
Phoenix got good minutes from most of their bench players, particularly Terrence Ross and T.J. Warren. Warren finished with 16 points, while Ross had 15. Booker shot 9 of 18 from the field and hit all nine of his free throws.
The Suns won despite a huge game from Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 37 points on 14-of-19 shooting, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Joel Embiid added 28 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 121, JAZZ 113
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kevin Huerter scored 27 points, had seven rebounds and four assists and Sacramento beat Utah.
Domantas Sabonis finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for his NBA-leading 60th double-double of the season. Harrison Barnes added 18 points. Keegan Murray scored 14 of his 22 total points in the first quarter and knocked down six three-pointers for the Kings.
Jazz rookie Walker Kessler scored a career-high 31 points for the Jazz. Kessler added 11 rebounds and finished 14 of 16 from the floor. Kelly Olynyk finished with 17 points and 10 assists, Ochai Agbaji scored 20 and Jarrell Brantley added 13 off the bench for Utah.
NETS 129, HEAT 100
MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Mikal Bridges scored 27 points, and the Brooklyn Nets opened the third quarter on a 31-6 run on the way to rolling past Miami and leapfrogging the Heat back into the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Cam Johnson added 23 points and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15 for the Nets (40-34), who snapped a five-game slide. They&rsquo;re only a half-game up on Miami (40-35) in the race for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff berth, but swept the Heat 3-0 this season and would also own a head-to-head tiebreaker.
Max Strus scored 23 for the Heat, all of them in the first half. Tyler Herro scored 23, Jimmy Butler had 18 and Bam Adebayo finished with 16 for the Heat. Miami was outscored 64-31 after halftime.
HAWKS 143, PACERS 130
ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; John Collins led eight Atlanta scorers in double figures with 21 points and the Hawks overcame Jordan Nwora&rsquo;s season-high 33 points and protected their shaky hold on the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings
Trae Young was ejected in the third quarter after firing an unusually hard pass to referee Scott Wall during a timeout. Wall caught the ball. Young was immediately called for a technical foul and ejected. Young had 14 points and five assists. Dejounte Murray had 20 points in his return after missing two games with a non-COVID illness. Saddiq Bey led Atlanta&rsquo;s bench with 18 points.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 19 points and Buddy Hield had 16 for Indiana.
PELICANS 131, CLIPPERS 110
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Trey Murphy III scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram had 32 points and 13 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans never trailed against the Los Angeles Clippers.
C.J. McCollum had 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pelicans, who have won four in a row.
Bones Hyland scored 18 points and Kawhi Leonard added 12 points and six rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost three of four.
At risk of falling out of the play-in tournament with a loss, the energized Pelicans started out hot, scoring the first eight points, and never let up.

A recap of Saturday's slate of NBA hoops includes the East and West's best going head-to-head.

Conference leaders clash as Nuggets top Bucks 129-106

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 27 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the Utah Jazz to a 128-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Kelly Olynyk had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Jazz. Kris Dunn added 18 points and a season-high 10 assists. Udoka Azubuike chipped in with a career-high 13 points and a season-best eight rebounds.
Eight players scored in double figures for the Jazz, who shot 52% from the field.
Agbaji&rsquo;s offensive outburst underscored the progress he&rsquo;s made from earlier in his rookie season when he had stints in the G League.
&ldquo;I kind of saw that as my own race, starting there,&rdquo; Agbaji said. &ldquo;My expectations were a little bit different coming in, but starting there, I had to be fine with it, had to go with it, had to give it my all and have a positive attitude while I was doing it.&rdquo;
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 37 points and seven assists to lead Sacramento. Keegan Murray added 22 points for the Kings. Fox and Murray combined to make 12 3-pointers.
Harrison Barnes scored 16 for Sacramento, and Malik Monk added 15.
Olynyk put the Jazz ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 1:34 left to break a 118-all tie. Dunn, Agbaji, Walker Kessler and Olynyk combined to make seven free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Sacramento trailed by double digits throughout the first half before erasing the deficit during the third quarter. Fox and Murray led the charge, combining for 33 points in the period.
Fox scored five baskets to fuel a 19-5 run that cut Utah&rsquo;s lead to 76-74 midway through the quarter. The Kings tied it three times on 3-pointers from Monk, Murray and Fox but did not go in front until early in the fourth quarter.
Chimezie Metu completed a 3-point play to give Sacramento its first lead at 100-98 with 9:15 remaining.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t trick a trick defense,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to just run your stuff. If you run your stuff, somebody&rsquo;s going to get an open shot.&rdquo;
Playing without the team&rsquo;s top three scorers &mdash; Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton &mdash; did not slow down Utah&rsquo;s offense in the first quarter.
The Jazz shot 60% from the field and made five 3-pointers to build a 40-19 lead by the end of the period. Utah showed offensive balance while coasting to a double-digit advantage. Five players scored two or more baskets in the quarter. Olynyk and Agbaji led the way with three apiece.
&ldquo;We lost this game in the first quarter,&rdquo; Fox said. &ldquo;We shot ourselves in the foot. Obviously we fought back, but you don&rsquo;t want to be in that type of position.&rdquo;
Utah did not cool down much through the second quarter. The Jazz extended their lead to 24 before halftime, going up 59-35 when Olynyk capped a 7-0 run with a corner 3.
&ldquo;We were able to use our pace. It&rsquo;s been a huge emphasis for us since the trade deadline to try to play faster,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We fed off our defense. We did a good job of getting stops and it allowed us to get out and run.&rdquo;
BLOCK PARTY
Kessler blocked five shots for the 10th time this season. None were more clutch than his final swat on a layup attempt by Domantas Sabonis with 1:20 remaining that would have cut the deficit to one. Kessler secured the rebound, and the Kings never got a chance to draw closer.
&ldquo;A lot of teams want to attack inside in the last moments just because you&rsquo;re trying to foul,&rdquo; Kessler said. &ldquo;I happened to be there. I liked my chances to block the shot.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Kings: Sabonis led the Kings in rebounds (12) and assists (nine) and finished with 11 points. &hellip; Sacramento scored zero fast-break points in the first half.
Jazz: Simone Fontecchio made his second career start in place of Markkanen, who sat out with back soreness. Fontecchio finished with 12 points. &hellip; Utah allowed a season-high 43 points in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Boston on Tuesday night.
Jazz: Host Portland on Wednesday night.

Eight players scored in double figures for the Jazz, who shot 52% from the field.

Agbaji scores 27, Jazz hold off Kings for 128-120 victory

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) &mdash; Jaren Jackson had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 117-111 on Wednesday night in the last game for both teams before the All-Star break.
Desmond Bane scored 24 points and Ja Morant had 20 points &mdash; on 8-of-26 shooting &mdash; and nine assists. Jackson also had five steals.
Kelly Olynyk led the Jazz with 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson had 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Utah, which trailed by 24 in the first half, cut the Memphis lead to 111-110 when Ochai Agbaji (17 points) scored on a dunk with 1:28 left. But Morant scored the next three points for Memphis and the Grizzlies held on for their second straight victory.
&ldquo;Being up 24, you definitely don&rsquo;t want to go into the All-Star break after losing a (big) lead, but we survived,&rdquo; Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
Jackson said there were several key factors that helped Memphis hold on. He said the performance &ldquo;wasn&rsquo;t great,&rdquo; but the Grizzlies had enough left at the end to escape the Utah comeback.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t tell you what it was,&rdquo; Jackson said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just happy they missed some shots late, and we made some shots late. We got the ball to who we wanted to get it to and finished it out.&rdquo;
Utah scoring leader Lauri Markkanen was out with right knee soreness. Then, four minutes into the game, guard Collin Sexton went out with a left hamstring injury and did not return. That left the Jazz short-handed and relying on their reserves. Talen Horton-Tucker led the Utah bench, scoring 15 points, while grabbing seven rebounds and handing out an equal number of assists.
Memphis benefitted from poor ball protection by the Jazz in the first half. Fifteen first-half turnovers by Utah resulted in 26 Grizzlies points. Jackson already had 16 points, cashing in on four 3-pointers, while recording three blocks and four steals in the first half.
Utah outscored Memphis 33-25 in third quarter, cutting the lead to 88-80 entering the fourth.
&ldquo;You see everybody&rsquo;s energy and how they played tonight?&rdquo; Clarkson said. &ldquo;Nobody ever gave up throughout the whole game. We had turnovers and missed shots early.&rdquo;
But Clarkson noted that the youthful energy of the Jazz along with new teammates helped them overcome early problems in the game while missing key players.
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&ldquo;One shot away, two plays away from winning the game,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
TIP-INS
Jazz: F Juan Toscano-Anderson made his debut with the Jazz after he was traded from the Lakers at the deadline. He finished with seven points. ... Olynyk was 4 of 4 from 3-point range in the Jazz win over Indiana but missed all three 3-pointers in the first half. He finished 3 of 7 from outside the arc. ...In addition to Markkanen, reserve F Rudy Gay was out with non-COVID illness.
Grizzlies: Brandon Clarke started his seventh game of the season at center. ... Are 17-16 against the Western Conference. ... The win marks only the third time in franchise history that they have reached 35 wins before the All-Star break.
STANDINGS WATCH
The Jazz entered the night in 10th place in the Western Conference, holding onto the last play-in spot a mere half-game ahead of Portland and Oklahoma City. Utah coach Will Hardy said there has to be a balance to watching the logjam.
&ldquo;It can be daunting when you look at the standing,&rdquo; Hardy said. &ldquo;How tight everything is. Then you start trying to do math in your head about what you may have to do.&rdquo; Then he added: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be lying if I said we don&rsquo;t look at the standings. You do.&rdquo;
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Jaren Jackson had 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 117-111.

Jackson, Bane lead Grizzlies over Jazz, 117-111

The Utah Jazz have been active in the days leading up to the 2023 trade deadline.
While rival teams are calling about Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Kelly Olynyk and Mike Conley, Utah has also weighed their options as a buyer.
According to <a href="https://action.onelink.me/eqFB/qy6dqcj4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Moore of The Action Network,</a> the Jazz have expressed interest in Atlanta Hawks big man John Collins and Charlotte Hornets wing Jalen McDaniels among other players.
While some reports have said that the Hawks' new-look front office values Collins and may hold onto him, other reports have indicated that Atlanta's asking price for Collins is at an all-time low and that he could be had without even parting with a first-round pick.
This season, Collins is averaging 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 51% from the field.
McDaniels has been <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/hornets-jalen-mcdaniels-thriving-after-taking-the-long-route-to-nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a pleasant surprise for the Hornets</a>, averaging 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.1 steals on .450/.325/.843 shooting splits.
Since there are so few sellers around the NBA at the moment, rival teams will be closely monitoring the Jazz and what they ultimately decide to do.&nbsp;

While teams are calling about Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Kelly Olynyk and Mike Conley, Utah has also weighed options as a buyer.

Jazz expressing interest in John Collins, Jalen McDaniels

Both the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are interested in bringing back Utah Jazz big man Kelly Olynyk to their squads, according to <a href="https://heavy.com/sports/miami-heat/kelly-olynyk-nba-trade-deadline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports</a>.
"A source close to the Heat&nbsp;tells&nbsp;Heavy Sports&nbsp;the club is interested in a reunion with Kelly Olynyk &mdash; and that Miami isn&rsquo;t his only suitor. The&nbsp;Celtics are also said to be looking at the possibility of re-acquiring the 6-11 floor-spacing big man, who spent his first four NBA seasons in Boston," Bulpett said.
While both teams are interested, Bulpett added that it's not likely either team will come away with Olynyk.
"According to a league executive with knowledge of the situation, the Celts are still trying to learn what it would take to get Olynyk from the Jazz, but an Eastern Conference source whose club has been working the market for a center/power forward doesn&rsquo;t believe the Heat or Celtics will be able to meet what Utah wants for Olynyk, averaging 11.9 points on 49.5 percent shooting (40.6 pct. on 3-pointers)."
The source also explained to Bulpett why both teams want to reunite with Olynyk or another backup big like him.
&ldquo;Boston and Miami want to get another big player that&rsquo;s better than what they have &mdash; not necessarily better than (Celtics Rob) Williams and (Al) Horford and Grant and (Heat center Bam) Adebayo, but better than all of the rest of the guys after them.&rdquo;

Both the Celtics and Heat are interested in bringing back Jazz center Kelly Olynyk, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports.

Heat, Celtics want reunion with Kelly Olynyk

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Damian Lillard scored a season-high 60 points, hitting nine 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 134-124 on Wednesday night.
Lillard tied for second-most in the NBA this season. Donovan Mitchell had 71 in an overtime game for Cleveland against Chicago on Jan. 3, and Luka Doncic scored 60 in Dallas&rsquo; OT victory over New York on Dec. 27.
Jerami Grant added 19 points to help Portland win its second straight game.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 24 points. He had a layup followed by a tip shot with 5:20 left that got Utah to 115-108.
Grant and Anfernee Simons had back-to-back dunks to put Portland up 121-110 and the Blazers led comfortably the rest of the way.
When Lillard came to the free-throw line late in the game, the home crowd stood and chanted &ldquo;MVP! &ldquo;MVP!&rdquo; Lillard missed a jump shot with 29.1 seconds left that would have topped his career best 61.
Lillard has four career games of 60 points or more. He&rsquo;s reached 61 twice.
After struggling for much of January, the Blazers were coming off a morale-boosting 147-127 victory over San Antonio on Monday.
Lillard had 26 points in the first half, hitting six 3s.
Lillard finished 21 of 29 from the field, 9 of 15 on 3s and 9 of 10 at the line. He also had eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
TIP-INS
Jazz: The quick trip to Portland was in the middle of two Jazz homestands. They played three in Utah before the game, then return for five games at home. ... Markkanen has made a 3-pointer in 37 straight games, the most for an NBA 7-footer.
Trail Blazers: It was the fourth game of a six-game homestand for the Blazers. ... Portland was hurt in the first half when starter Josh Hart left with a hamstring injury and did not return. Jusuf Nurkic left the game in the third quarter with left calf soreness and did not return. ... Lillard moved into sixth on the league&rsquo;s all-time 3pointers made list, passing Vince Carter.
LEARNING PROCESS
Rookie Walker Kessler has been starting for the Jazz in Kelly Olynyk&rsquo;s absence because of a left ankle strain. The 7-foot-1 center ranks among the lead leaders in blocks, with 1.9 per game.
Jazz coach Will Harvey said part of Walker&rsquo;s development is knowing he belongs at the NBA level.
&ldquo;I think he&rsquo;s getting some good feedback when he watches the film with the coaches, but I really think that he&rsquo;s getting a lot of feedback from his teammates, and they&rsquo;re empowering him,&rdquo; Harvey said. &ldquo;The things that they say to him in the huddle, in the locker room, pregame, postgame and at practice, make him feel like he&rsquo;s a big part of what we&rsquo;re doing and that he does belong and I think that&rsquo;s where you&rsquo;re seeing his confidence grow.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host Dallas on Saturday night.
Trail Blazers: Host the Raptors on Saturday night.

Damian Lillard scored a season-high 60 points, hitting nine 3-pointers, and the Blazers beat the Jazz 134-124 on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard has season-high 60 points, Blazers beat Jazz 134-124

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen had 34 points and 12 rebounds to help the Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 126-103 on Wednesday night.
Markkanen returned after missing two games because of a bruised hip. He made six 3-pointers and had his 11th game with at least 30 points this season.
Markkanen made his mark close to the basket and around the perimeter, including a ferocious dunk over Ivica Zubac followed by a 3-pointer to give Utah a 78-62 lead in the third quarter.
The Jazz led wire-to-wire and by as many as 25 points over the weary Clippers, on the second game of a back-to-back set, without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The Jazz (24-24) have won four of their last five games.
Mike Conley had 17 points and nine rebounds, Jordan Clarkson scored 16 points and Walker Kessler had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Norman Powell led Los Angeles with 30 points, and Zubac added 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Clippers (23-24) have dropped nine of their last 11 games.
Leonard (right knee) and George (right hamstring) played Tuesday night in the Clippers&rsquo; 120-110 loss to Philadelphia, but both sat out the Utah game to recover.
John Wall is out with an abdominal strain and Los Angeles hoped to have Luke Kennard back (right calf) but will need to wait longer.
The Jazz made 19 of 32 3s and shot 52%t overall and outscored the Clippers 50-34 in the paint
TIP-INS
Clippers: Coach Tyronn Lue got a technical in the third quarter. &hellip; Powell went 5 for 6 from 3-point range in the first half. &hellip; L.A. had 15 offensive rebounds, leading to 26 second-chance points, but made only 22 of 58 2-pointers.
Jazz: Regular starter Kelly Olynyk (ankle) missed his fifth game. &hellip; The Jazz shot 65% from 3 through three quarters.
&nbsp;

Lauri Markkanen had 34 points and 12 rebounds to help the Utah Jazz beat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 126-103.

Lauri Markkanen returns to help Jazz rout Clippers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &mdash; Walker Kessler had career-highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 21 points and the Utah Jazz rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-125 on Monday.
Collin Sexton added 19 points off the bench for Utah, which had seven players score in double-digits in its third win in four games.
Anthony Edwards scored 17 of his 29 points in the third quarter and D&rsquo;Angelo Russell added 21 points for Minnesota, which struggled inside against Kessler, the big rookie center traded from the Timberwolves to the Jazz in July.
Kyle Anderson had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Timberwolves, who lost Rudy Gobert to lingering groin soreness early in the game.
Russell tied the game at 125 with 13.5 seconds left. Clarkson made one of two free throws for the winning margin, and Jaden McDaniels' 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed the mark.
Minnesota acquired Kessler, the Naismith defensive player of the year in 2022 for Auburn, in a draft night trade. Two weeks later, he was sent to Utah as the Timberwolves sought a difference-maker down low in Gobert.
Monday, it was Kessler demonstrating his ability to affect opponents inside. He started his fourth game in a row in place of Kelly Olynyk and is averaging 13.5 points, 13.25 rebounds and three blocks as a starter.
Gobert&rsquo;s transition to Minnesota hasn&rsquo;t been smooth, but he has begun to become more effective defensively as the Wolves have put together their recent run of success.
Edwards has been the offensive equivalent to Gobert&rsquo;s defensive performance.
After Utah took a lead midway through the third quarter, Edwards answered. Minnesota went on an 18-8 run to end the third, with Edwards scoring nine.
On three straight possessions, Edwards went right at Kessler at the hoop, getting a pair of free throws and two lay-ins.
SHORT STAY
Gobert was listed as questionable before the game with right groin soreness. He started against his former team, but only played five minutes before being leaving again due to the injury. Gobert was injured in the last game when he played only 13:25.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen missed his second straight game with a left hip contusion. Olynyk missed his fourth straight game due to a left ankle sprain. &hellip; Rudy Gay returned after missing one game with a left low back spasm. Sexton was back after missing six of the previous games for maintenance of a hamstring injury. &hellip; Kessler added four assists and two blocks.
Timberwolves: Edwards became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 500 3-pointers made. &hellip; Minnesota only had six turnovers to Utah&rsquo;s 18.
&nbsp;

Walker Kessler had career-highs of 20 points and 21 rebounds, and the Utah Jazz rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-125.

Kessler's 20 points, 21 rebounds help Jazz beat T-Wolves

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points and blocked Franz Wagner&rsquo;s 3-pointer in the closing moments to power the Utah Jazz past the Orlando Magic, 112-108 on Friday night.
Jordan Clarkson, who had 23 points, scored the go-ahead layup, and rookie Walker Kessler made two free throws after rebounding Collin Sexton&rsquo;s second of two missed free throws with 11.8 seconds to play.
I said a little quiet prayer to myself and it happened. I was relieved,&rdquo; said Kessler, who shoots 55.7 percent from the line, of his late free throws.
Clarkson saw Kessler&rsquo;s big smile after the ball went through the hoop, but he wasn&rsquo;t surprised.
&ldquo;I was talking to him as he got ready and told him he was going to knock those down. I have confidence in him,&rdquo; Clarkson said.
Markkanen switched onto Wagner beyond the 3-point line and blocked the attempt to tie just as the shot left Wagner&rsquo;s hand.
Wagner, who scored 26 points, matched a career best of five 3-pointers, including an off-balance 28-foot runner to beat the third-quarter buzzer.
&ldquo;We were just switching everything and I thought he&rsquo;d probably shoot a 3, so I tried to stay down and not to foul, but I got a piece of it and we won,&rdquo; Markannen said.
The Magic erased a 12-point fourth quarter lead with a 19-6 run that was capped by Markelle Fultz&rsquo;s layup with 42.1 seconds to play that made it 108-107 for Orlando.
&ldquo;I think the fight was there. The intensity was there,&rdquo; Wagner said. &ldquo;I think there was a bunch of moments in the game where we didn&rsquo;t quit and that&rsquo;s definitely something to build on.&rdquo;
Remarkably, Markkanen led the game in scoring despite not having a single field goal after the first quarter.
&ldquo;I felt like I spent most of the game on the ground after those fouls,&rdquo; Markkanen said.
Facing strong closeouts, Markkanen often took the ball to the basket and the Magic &mdash; without much rim protection &mdash; were forced to foul. The 7-foot Finnish star set career highs on both free throws made (17) and attempted (21).
Before this season, Markkanen only had five games where he shot more than 10 free throws. The aggressive Markkanen has shot double-digit free throws five times in his last seven games.
Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter, Jr. each had 19 points for the Magic. They are gone 2-2 on a five-game Western trip.
Sexton returned to the Utah lineup after missing the past five games with a hamstring strain to score 18 points, while Kessler had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven blocked shots.
The Jazz won back-to-back games for the first time in ten starts.
TIP-INS
Magic: Gary Harris left with a right hand injury. &hellip; The Magic went 10 for 16 from the line, lower numbers than Markkanen by himself. &hellip; Fultz had six assists and has 34 over his last five games.
Jazz: Regular starters Kelly Olynyk (ankle) and Mike Conley (rest) sat out. &hellip; The Jazz missed 14 straight 3-point attempts from the first to third quarter. &hellip; Clarkson has drawn flagrant fouls in consecutive games on fourth-quarter 3-point jumpers.
&nbsp;

Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points to power the Utah Jazz past the Orlando Magic, 112-108.

Lauri Markkanen scores 28 points, Jazz beat Magic 112-108

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Kevin Huerter hit a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left and the Sacramento Kings held off Utah 126-125 on Friday night when Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen missed a jumper in the final seconds.
&ldquo;You can mistake some of these regular-season games for playoffs just with the energy they bring," Kings coach Mike Brown said after the game.
Huerter scored a career-high 30 points to help Sacramento improve to 19-15, with Brown returning after missing the past two games because of COVID-19. Domantas Sabonis had 28 points on 12-for-12 shooting along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 24 points and 10 assists.
&ldquo;I feel like he&rsquo;s been doing that all year," Sabonis said about Fox. "That&rsquo;s what he does. He&rsquo;s been clutch for us all year. He can get any shot that he wants, and he&rsquo;s been making the right read every time.&rdquo;
Markkanen scored 36 points for Utah (19-19). Jordan Clarkson had 25 points and nine assists, and Mike Conley scored 17 points.
&ldquo;He's a matchup nightmare,&rdquo; Kelly Olynyk said about Markkanen. &ldquo;He's shooting the ball unbelievably the whole season really ... He's tough to guard. You can't take away one thing.&rdquo;
The Jazz took their first lead of the game at 94-91 with 10:13 left in the fourth quarter on a 3 by Conley. There were 12 lead changes.
&ldquo;Tough finish,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;Our guys hung in all game and battled. &hellip;to be able to come back late and take the lead, showed a lot of resolve from our group.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Jazz: The Jazz dropped to .500 for the first time this season. &hellip; Utah is 7-14 on the road.
Kings: KZ Okpala received a flagrant foul after kneeing Walker Kessler in the stomach on a drive to the basket in the first half. ...Fox scored 10 points or more in the 4th quarter for the fourth straight game.
&nbsp;

Kevin Huerter hit a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left and the Sacramento Kings held off the Utah Jazz 126-125.

Kevin Huerter hits late 3-pointer, Kings beat Jazz 126-125

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Just weeks ago, the Golden State Warriors might not have pulled off a win like this without their superstars on the court.
The backups are making big strides for the defending champions.
Jordan Poole scored 26 points and converted a key layup with 1:27 left and the undermanned Warriors rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 112-107 on Wednesday night.
Ty Jerome hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:18 to play after his own steal, then made a key rebound to help set up Donte DiVincenzo’s 3 the next time down as Golden State got another big performance from the reserves.
“I think the stage we're at as a team right now, coach said after the game that was just straight grit,” Jerome said.
Rookie Patrick Baldwin Jr. contributed 11 points with three 3s in 13 minutes off the bench after practicing earlier in the day with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors then arrived about an hour before tip-off. He ate two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the way.
“I thought Patrick changed the game when he stepped out there and knocked down those 3s,” coach Steve Kerr said.
Baldwin got called up given DiVincenzo had been questionable with right knee soreness while Draymond Green has been nursing a tender right foot.
DiVincenzo scored 19 points and Jerome 17 with the Warriors completing a back-to-back minus starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. Poole tied it at 94 on a 3 with 11:03 left.
“It feels different to win this game based on the circumstances. This is a game we wouldn’t have won a few weeks ago," Kerr said. "I think our young guys are really growing.”
Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and had seven 3-pointers and a season-best 16 rebounds for the Jazz. Jordan Clarkson's 3 with 1:37 left made it a one-point game before Poole delivered moments later. 
Markkanen found his early shooting stroke from long range and also scored with driving layups, making 10 of 22 shots. Clarkson added 22 points. while Mike Conley had 10 assists.
Kelly Olynyk returned from a four-game absence with a sprained left ankle to get nine points and six rebounds in 26 minutes for Utah, which squandered a second-half lead for the second straight game. The Jazz were up 121-110 in the waning minutes of a 126-122 loss at San Antonio on Monday night.
Green wound up with six points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks for the Warriors, who at 15-2 have the league's best home record and are just trying to establish that same consistency away from Chase Center.
TIP-INS
Jazz: The Jazz hit seven 3s in the first quarter, four by Markkanen. ... Utah is 7-13 on the road, 5-9 vs. the Western Conference. The Jazz have lost six straight on the Warriors' floor dating to a 129-96 victory on Jan. 22, 2020. ... The Jazz were edged on the boards 51-50. 
Warriors: All-Star Andrew Wiggins returned to the arena wearing a mask a day after being away with an illness. He had been scheduled to return to action Wednesday night from being sidelined by a strained muscle in his right thigh area but instead missed his 12th straight game. Wiggins needs to practice so he's doubtful for Friday with a team off day Thursday.
UP NEXT
Jazz: At Sacramento on Friday night.
Warriors: Hosts Portland on Friday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Jordan Poole scored 26 points and converted a key layup late and the undermanned Warriors rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 112-107

Jordan Poole has 26 points, Warriors rally past Jazz

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 21 points and the San Antonio Spurs fended off the Utah Jazz in the final minutes for a 126-122 victory Monday night.
&ldquo;We just stayed together. We persevered and came out on top,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I feel like they are a good team and good teams make runs. We withstood that run and won the game."
The Spurs led 121-110 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Jazz scored seven points in 33 seconds, but they could not complete the rally.
Jakob Poeltl added 16 points for San Antonio.
Lauri Markkanen had 32 points and Jordan Clarkson added 25 points for Utah, which had won two straight.
Clarkson&rsquo;s 3-pointer pulled Utah within 123-120 with 30.1 seconds remaining but Tre Jones tossed in a floater 23 seconds later as San Antonio snapped a two-game skid.
&ldquo;I think we came into this year knowing we were going to be in a lot of close games,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We weren&rsquo;t going to be a team necessarily that was built to blow people out, so we needed to be clutch in those situations.&rdquo;
Jones, who finished with 11 points, made the Spurs&rsquo; final two field goal attempts.
The game started 40 minutes later than scheduled due to what the Spurs termed &ldquo;a potential security threat, which has impacted fans entering the AT&amp;T Center.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We were just about to run out of the tunnel to come out for warmups, but they told us to go back to the locker room,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a weird thing. That&rsquo;s the first time I&rsquo;ve experienced that, but I think guys did a great job of just staying locked in and controlling what we can control.&rdquo;
The delay or a weekend holiday break for both teams likely contributed to a sluggish start that resulted in a combined 19 points in the opening six minutes.
STUDENT VS. TEACHER
Hardy spent 11 seasons with San Antonio, working his way up from an intern to a lead assistant under coach Gregg Popovich.
Hardy spent one season as an assistant at Boston before Utah hired him as the ninth coach in franchise history.
Despite all his success, Hardy said he still feels like a 22-year-old intern at times when he is around Popovich and Milwaukee head coach and former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer.
GAME DELAY
Players and staff for both teams, stadium employees and a few thousand fans were already inside when a potential security threat was announced. No one was evacuated, but no more fans were allowed to enter for about half an hour.
Fans were allowed in again after law enforcement determined there was no threat, leading to a 40-minute delay.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Markkanen has scored at least 30 points in eight games this season. ... Kelly Olynyk missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle. &hellip; F Rudy Gay was honored by the Spurs prior to tip-off with a video highlighting his four seasons with the team.
Spurs: San Antonio did not have any injuries to report for the first time in more than a month. The Spurs starting lineup played together for just the third time in the last 12 games and for only the 14th time in 33 games this season. &hellip; San Antonio will complete its seventh of 14 back-to-back games this season on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. The Spurs are 2-5 in the opening game and 1-5 in the closing contest.
&nbsp;

Devin Vassell had 24 points, Keldon Johnson added 21 points and the Spurs fended off the Jazz for a 126-122 victory.

Vassell, Johnson help Spurs hold on to beat Jazz, 126-122

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Jordan Clarkson added 23 to power the Utah Jazz past the reeling Washington Wizards 120-112 on Thursday night.
&ldquo;I was attacking the hole and not settling for 3s,&rdquo; Beasley said. &ldquo;I think there are some times where I get complacent so I got to keep attacking downhill.&rdquo;
Beasley made six shots from inside the arc. He usually gets most of his points from beyond it.
Lauri Markkanen had 21 points and Collin Sexton returned from missing seven games with a right hamstring injury to finish with 18 while playing just 17 minutes due to a medical minutes restriction.
&ldquo;We knew the kind of energy he would bring and he&rsquo;s going to fire up everybody else up as well,&rdquo; Markkanen said of Sexton&rsquo;s return.
Bradley Beal scored 30 points and Kyle Kuzma had 21, but the Wizards lost for the 14th time in their last 16 games.
Beal scored Washington&rsquo;s first 12 points of the fourth quarter but the Wizards couldn&rsquo;t stop the Jazz. The Wizards fell to 2-8 when Beal, who didn't have a 3-pointer, is their leading scorer.
&ldquo;They were geared to get into Brad and make him play inside the line, tried to pressure his dribble,&rdquo; Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.
The Jazz scored 13 consecutive points bridging the third and fourth quarters, highlighted by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Sexton and capped by Nickeil Walker-Alexander&rsquo;s 3 off an offensive rebound.
&ldquo;It was all about pushing the ball and getting stops. When we are running, we are at our best. When we have numbers, anybody can knock the shot down,&rdquo; Sexton said.
The surge resulted in the first double-digit lead by either team after 23 lead changes and 11 ties. The span was bolstered by tight defense and increased effort after three quarters of little resistance by the Jazz.
&ldquo;The guys buckled down and really committed to that end,&rdquo; Utah coach Will Hardy said.
The Wizards had lost 10 straight games before winning at Phoenix on Tuesday. Their defensive deficiencies returned as they allowed the Jazz to make 16-of-35 3-pointers, many of which were wide open due to slow rotations and weak closeouts.
Second-leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis missed his second game with a non-COVID illness but the Wizards still shot 56% from the field.
&ldquo;Even when we were healthy, we were .500,&rdquo; Kuzma said, not making excuses for the Wizards&rsquo; poor health.
Corey Kispert made a halfcourt shot at the last second to put the Wizards up 66-60. Due to a clock malfunction &mdash; the time kept running &mdash; the teams had to replay 0.4 seconds of the second quarter after halftime.
WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE?
Even with Beasley&rsquo;s 25 points as a reserve, the team was talking about his work on the defensive end.
&ldquo;Malik did a great job of recognizing the times to fan back out to the shooters and it ended getting him some steals. It&rsquo;s something we work on a lot,&rdquo; Hardy said.
Beasley had four steals and forced some poor shots by the Wizards.
&ldquo;It was about being in the right spots &hellip; and keeping my hands active, knowing which guys are going to pass the ball and which guys won&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Beasley said.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Washington was called for goaltending on three shots in the first quarter. &hellip; Deni Avdija sat out with a sore back after playing in 114 consecutive games. &hellip; The Wizards went 17 for 24 in the second quarter and had 19 fast-break points to 3 for Utah in the first half.
Jazz: Kelly Olynyk missed his third game with a sprained left ankle. &hellip; Utah scored on nine straight possessions in the third quarter. &hellip; Walker Kessler had 12 points and 14 rebounds. &hellip; Utah went 20 for 21 from the free throw line.
&nbsp;

Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Jordan Clarkson added 23 to power the Utah Jazz past the reeling Washington Wizards 120-112.

Beasley, Clarkson lead Jazz to 120-112 victory over Wizards

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell wasn't seeking revenge.
He still has several close friends on the Utah Jazz, tight teammates he stays in touch with regularly on a group text.
On Monday night, Mitchell showed he's doing fine since leaving them.
The All-Star guard scored 23 points in 23 minutes in his first game against the Jazz since they traded Mitchell to Cleveland this summer and Jarrett Allen added 20 and 11 rebounds, leading the Cavaliers to a 122-99 win.
The Cavs have won four straight, improving the NBA's best home record to 15-2. The league's best defensive team clamped down on the Jazz, holding them to a season-low 39.1 shooting percentage.
For Mitchell, who spent five seasons with Utah before being dealt to Cleveland on Sept. 1 in the stunning blockbuster, the quality victory meant more than any personal satisfaction.
&ldquo;We did a lot of really good things collectively,&rdquo; he said. "Obviously, we shot the ball really well, but defensively holding a team like this, that can shoot the ball really well and can score, under 100 points. We did a lot of things we can point to and say this is what we want to be.&rdquo;
Mitchell said he was flooded with emotions going against the team that drafted him.
&ldquo;It was weird,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But it was fun.&rdquo;
The Jazz, who came close to trading Mitchell to the Knicks, instead sent the three-time All-Star to the Cavs in exchange for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, rookie Ochai Agbaji and three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027 and 2029).
Mitchell's arrival has legitimized the Cavs, who barely missed the playoffs last season with the one of the league's youngest rosters. He's been everything Cleveland hoped, averaging 29.5 points per game while providing leadership.
He's only been in Cleveland for a few months, but Mitchell looks at home.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m comfortable,&rdquo; he said with a smile. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still trying to figure out the highways. But with this group, I feel like I&rsquo;ve been a part of them for a while. The city, the fans, the team, everyone has welcomed me with open arms. The fit was pretty seamless.&rdquo;
Darius Garland added 17 and Cedi Osman 22 (20 in the fourth during extended garbage time) for Cleveland, which shot a season-high 61.4% and opened a 23-point lead in the third. The Cavs coasted in perhaps its most complete game this season.
&ldquo;They kicked our ass,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;They shot the ball unbelievably well from all three levels of the court. They play with great tempo, they bothered us with their physicality in the first half, which is what got us behind the eight ball.&rdquo;
Mitchell, who came in averaging 36.9 minutes, got to enjoy a fourth quarter relaxing on the bench.
&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had one of these in a while,&rdquo; said Mitchell, who spent time after the game catching up with Utah's players, coaches and traveling party. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s always good to get a break. I&rsquo;m not that old, but it&rsquo;s always good to put the minutes down.&rdquo;
Markkanen scored 24 &mdash; 22 in the first half &mdash; and Jordan Clarkson, yet another former Cavs player, added 23 for Utah, which has lost six straight on the road.
The Jazz are 5-15 since their surprising 12-1 start.
RUBIO UPDATE
Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio has scrimmaged with the team's G-League affiliate as he nears his return after season-ending knee surgery.
Although Rubio hasn't played, just having him around has been beneficial to Cleveland's young players.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a very rare group of people who have the presence that he has and that guys just want to be around and listen to," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "Ricky is that guy and they love to play with him even more.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Jazz: Sexton missed his sixth straight game with a strained hamstring. ... C Kelly Olynyk (left ankle sprain) missed his first game, leaving G Malik Beasley as the only Utah player to play in all 33. &hellip; G Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the game's wildest basket, blindly flinging the ball in over his head after he got stuck in the lane.
Cavaliers: Improved to 3-0 on a season-long, six-game homestand. ... Outscored the Jazz 29-2 in fastbreak points. ... F Lamar Stevens (right knee soreness) missed his second consecutive game. Stevens had started the previous eight, averaging 6.6 points, 5.9 rebounds while providing stellar defense.
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Donovon Mitchell scored 23 points and Jarrett Allen added 20 and 11 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers to a 122-99 win over the Jazz.