Ranking Every Utah Jazz Game For 2019-20: The Complete List

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz, like the rest of the NBA, are on hiatus amid the coronavirus outbreak that has sidelined professional sports across the country. Whether the league will continue its season this summer, or whether the season will be considered a loss remains to be seen.

With 64 games under the Jazz belt, and a record of 41-23, leading the team to the fourth seed in the Western Conference, there’s reasons for both optimism, and pessimism about the team’s season. With that in mind, KSL Sports has ranked all 64 games from the Jazz in order of worst to best.

This is the complete ranking, games 1-64.

64. Jazz Burned By Suns 131-111 At Home

Simply put, there is just no good explanation for the Jazz falling to the Phoenix Suns by 20 points in front of their home crowd. With the Jazz sitting 15 over .500, and the Suns 10 games under the breakeven mark, Phoenix casually walked into Vivint Smart Home Arena as steamrolled the Jazz.

Despite being tied at 62 at the half, the Jazz allowed 69 second-half points while managing just 49 of their own en route to the drubbing. To make matters worse, former Jazzman Ricky Rubio had the best game of his season scoring 22 points, handing out 11 assists, grabbing six rebounds, while amassing seven steals in the blowout.

Ricky Rubio stuffed the stat sheet last night as he led the @Suns to a big win over the Jazz. ☀️

22 PTS, 6 REB, 11 AST, 7 STL, 65.7 FPTSpic.twitter.com/Td9Ni9qYQR

— NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) February 25, 2020

63. Jazz Mauled In Toronto 130-110

Though the result was eerily similar to the 20 point loss handed to the Jazz by the Suns, the Jazz loss to the Toronto Raptors couldn’t have felt differently.

The Raptors led by 17 after one quarter, led by an astonishing 40 at the break, before casually rolling into a 20 point blowout. The Jazz were truly never competitive against a team that felt like their east coast equivalent,  trying to prove they can reach championship heights without a true superstar on the roster. Pascal Siakam led Toronto to victory with 35 points.

62. Jazz Fall To Timberwolves 112-102 in Utah

To the Jazz credit, the Minnesota Timberwolves weren’t yet the dumpster fire they would become before season’s end, but this still felt like a bad loss. With both teams hovering just above .500 on the season, neither franchise was off the start they wanted, but hopes had been high in both cities.

The Jazz managed to hang with the Timberwolves through most of the game, but hot shooting from Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Tows ultimately undid the Jazz, and perhaps gave the Jazz their first taste of their inability to guard small-ball offenses. Towns finished with 29 points, including nine in the fourth quarter on 3-5 shooting to put the Jazz away.

No Jazz player reached the 20 point mark.

61. Jazz Beat On Late Kings Tip-In 102-101

It was only the Jazz second loss of the season, but unfortunately, it came against the previously winless Sacramento Kings. With the Jazz lead 101-100 with just seconds remaining, Nemanja Bjelica missed an open three-point shot giving the Jazz an opportunity to secure the win. Instead, Harrison Barnes swooped in for the offensive put back to give the Kings a one-point lead with 2.9 seconds remaining.

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell missed a good look from three that would have given the Jazz the win, but the shot rimmed out. To make matters worse, the loss quickly extinguished the joy sparked by a win over the Los Angeles Clippers two nights earlier.

60. Jazz Blasted By Shorthanded Rockets 126-117

Losing to a conference foe always hurts. Losing to a team you’re in a direct battle with for playoff seeding hurts worse. Losing to a potential playoff foe at home with a rest advantage at your back while they’re sitting their three best players is just about as bad as it gets. Oh, and the Jazz allowed an opposing player to score 50 points.

The Rockets came into Utah on the second night of a back to back, sitting James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Clint Capela, essentially gifting the Jazz a win.

Instead, Eric Gordon scored a career-high 50 points, easily attacking the Jazz stagnant defense and stealing a game in Salt Lake City.

59. Jazz Spiked By Spurs 113 to 104

After entering the All-Star break with a league-best four-game winning streak it seemed the Jazz were once again on the precipice of a long stretch of high-level play during the second half of the season. Mike Conley was back and healthy with the team, while Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were fresh off their All-Star debuts.

The San Antonio Spurs had a different idea and simply outworked the worked the Jazz in Salt Lake City. The Spurs led by 19 at the half, 18 after three quarters, and coasted to an easy nine-point victory. Any expectations that the Jazz had officially arrived as NBA contenders were quickly dashed.

58. Jazz Dropped By Grizzlies 107-106

Inarguably losses that break win streaks hurt worse than most, which has made this Jazz season particularly difficult to fully embrace. Perhaps the best example of the pain Jazz fans have felt this season came on a 107-106 road loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Before anyone in the NBA was taking the Grizzlies seriously as a playoff contender, the Jazz walked into Memphis riding a four-game winning streak that would get snapped thanks to the late-game heroics of Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant.

Mitchell appeared to get fouled by the Grizzlies Solomon Hill on his last-second shot attempt but no foul was called and the Jazz left Memphis with the loss.

57.  Jazz Outmatched in San Antonio 127-120

Every loss to a non-playoff team hurts at season’s end, but losing to a short-handed non-playoff team stings just a little bit more. Playing without forward LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan carried San Antonio to a seven-point victory over the Jazz behind a season-high 38 points.

The Jazz allowed San Antonio to shoot 56 percent from the floor for the entirety of the game, including 15-22 in the first quarter for 68 percent. It simply wasn’t the Jazz night in the second loss of what would become a five-game losing streak.

56. Jazz Drowned By Lakers 121-96 In Utah

Sometimes returning home is the cure for team’s during a particularly rough stretch of basketball. In other cases, it simply allows fans to see what damage is being done to their team in person.

That was the case for the Jazz who after they’d lost four out of five games on an East Coast road swing, only to catch the Lakers once they returned to Salt Lake City. The Lakers crushed the Jazz by a season-worst 25 points as no starter for the purple and gold reached the 30-minute mark. The loss was the last on the end of a 1-5 stretch early in the season.

55. Jazz Axed By Nuggets 98-95 At Home

It’s hard to believe games regularly finished with neither team scoring 100 points for long stretches of the NBA’s history. When both the Jazz and Nuggets failed to reach the century mark in early February it felt like watching two teams who had been bare-knuckle boxing for 15 rounds.

Despite shooting better than 50 percent from both the field and the three-point line, the Jazz lost to the Nuggets who had just seven available players in uniform, handing the hometown team their fifth straight loss.

All-Star center Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in what was easily the most impressive performance by any individual Jazz opponent this season.

Nikola Jokic erupts scoring a triple-double with 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the short-handed Nuggets on a comeback road win in Utah.#DENUTA pic.twitter.com/6OuPpuvAJV

— Stadium Mak Cik Kiah (@stadiumastro) February 6, 2020

54. Jazz Plowed By Trailblazers 124-107 At Portland

Sometimes a force of nature is so strong you know it cannot be stopped. That’s what the Jazz faced when Damian Lillard, in the midst of the hottest streak of his career, matched up with the slumping Jazz.

The former Weber State guard 51 points on 17-29 shooting, and helped lead the Blazers to a 30-19 second quarter that all but secured the victory for Portland by halftime.

The Jazz had had three days off to prepare for the red-hot guard but ultimately it didn’t matter.

53. Jazz Outpaced By Indiana 121-102 On The Road 

After barely getting outdueled by the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks two nights earlier, the Jazz walked into Indiana with a false sense of confidence.

The Jazz allowed three separate Pacers starters to score 20 points or more, led by All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, kicking off a string of poor performances on the road against Eastern Conference teams.

52. Jazz Made History By 76ers 103-94 In Philly

Sometimes the final score doesn’t reflect the way a game actually felt, as was the case for the Jazz loss in against the Philadelphia 76ers.

At face value, the Jazz lost by just nine points, but in reality, they trailed by 20 points through much of the game before a last push in the fourth quarter trimmed the deficit to single digits.

Jazz offseason target Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 26 points.

51. Jazz Outshined By Nuggets 106-100 In Denver

Falling to the third-best team in the conference on the road is hardly a bad loss, but it hurts knowing the team could have managed a victory had their star player done anything resembling an average basketball performance.

The Jazz lost to the Nuggets by only six despite Donovan Mitchell scoring four points on just 1-12 shooting.

Oh, and it happened on the same night he was named to his first All-Star game.

50. Jazz Shaken By Thunder 104-90 At Home

After losing three straight games against the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz bounced back with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies that seemed to get the losing monkey off of the teams back.

Instead, Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder walked into Utah and put on a demoralizing clinic against the Jazz, leading by 17 points after three quarters. The Jazz had no answer for Paul, Dennis Schroder, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who combined for 63 points and just three turnovers.

49. Jazz Sidelined By Raptors 101-92 In Utah

In the Jazz final game before the coronavirus hiatus, the team’s offense was anything but dangerous. The Raptors held the Jazz to just 92 points and no starter managed to score more than 15 points. Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Rudy Gobert combined to shoot just 11-40 from the floor for 35 points.

The team’s defensive effort allowed them to hang around but ultimately clutch play by Kyle Lowry sunk the Jazz just before league play was suspended.

48. Jazz Blitzed By Rockets 120-110 In Salt Lake

This game followed the script of a lot of Jazz losses this season. The teams played relatively equally in the first half before a blowout third quarter created an insurmountable deficit entering the fourth quarter.

The Rocket doubled up the Jazz 38-19 in the third, turning a four-point halftime lead into a 15 point deficit heading into the final period. James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 72 points as the Jazz recent history of struggling against Mike D’Antoni system continued to rear its ugly head.

47. Jazz Outlasted By Pelicans In New Orleans 138-132

From here on out, it’s hard to say any loss the Jazz have had this season is a bad loss, including this overtime thriller in New Orleans. The Jazz were gifted an opportunity at the end of regulation on a phantom foul call that sent Gobert to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game.

Instead, Gobert made just one of two free throws, allowing the game to go to OT, where the Jazz stars were outshone by Brandon Ingram. Ingram scored 49 points, edging Donovan Mitchell’s 46 in one of the better NBA games this season.

46. Jazz Come Up Unlucky Against Celtics 114-103 In Utah

Another example of a top-shelf performance from Mitchell undone by inefficiency from the supporting cast.

The Jazz guard outdueled fellow third-year All-Star Jayson Tatum 37-33, but Marcus Smart’s three second-half three-pointers proved to be the difference. Perhaps more troubling, the loss represented the Jazz continued struggles in front of their home crowd this season.

45. Jazz Clipped in Los Angeles 105-94

Losing on the road to the team many experts think is the favorite to the NBA Championship is very forgivable. The difficult aspect of this Jazz loss was the fact that the team entered the fourth quarter with a four-point lead, only to allow a 40 point fourth quarter, and ultimately lose by 11.

Mitchell went head to head with Kawhi Leonard, outscoring the two-time finals MVP 36-30, but 18 Clippers offensive rebounds sunk the Jazz.

44. Jazz Suffer First Loss Of Season To The Lakers 95-86

In just the second game of the season, it was clear the Jazz were actively trying to work out offensive issues that would eventually be changed by a radical roster shakeup.

The Jazz managed just 86 points in Los Angeles, shooting 39 percent from the floor and 30 percent from three, while LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 53 points. The team was without forward Bojan Bogdanovic who has proved to be one of the brightest surprises for the team this season.

43. Jazz Run Afoul In Milwaukee 122-118

In what easily could have been the team’s best win of the season, the Jazz came up just short in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points, making 19 trips to the free-throw line, knocking down 9-10 in the second half.

The Jazz made 21-45 three-point shots that allowed them to hang around but ultimately couldn’t slow the Greek-Freak and the Bucks.

Giannis went nuclear tonight against the Jazz

50 PTS
14 REBS
6 ASTS
2 STLS
pic.twitter.com/UXOECvl6HV

— Quarantined Tatum☘️ ✪ (@TatumForMVP) November 26, 2019

42. Jazz Shaken Up In Miami 107-104

Just two days before Christmas, the Jazz experienced one of the key turning points of the season. Just before tipoff in Miami, the team traded guard Dante Exum to Cleveland for microwave scorer Jordan Clarkson. After the game, the Jazz waived forward Jeff Green, clearing way for a new rotation on the roster.

The Jazz lost by three points in Miami who at the time were one of the league’s best teams playing at home, but it was clear the team was entering a new era. Tyler Herro outplaying Mitchell in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in a game that signaled a new beginning for the team.

THE WINS

41. Jazz Sneak Past Wizards 129-119 At Home

There are no bad wins in the NBA, but sometimes teams leave a game with a victory without any reassurance that the team is playing particularly well.

After four straight losses, the Jazz eeked past the Wizards with a 129-119 win, but trailed at the half and allowed Bradley Beal to score 42 points. Ultimately the Jazz got the victory, but it didn’t leave Jazz fans with a confident taste in their mouth.

40. Jazz Edge Warriors 113-109 In Utah

At times, the Jazz have left their fanbase wanting more, even during good times. That may never have been more apparent than after a four point win in Utah over the miserable Golden State Warriors.

The Jazz allowed the Warriors to cut an 18 point lead to just two in the final seconds of the game, led by former Jazzman Alec Burks before finally securing the win. It became clear early in the season that the Jazz were vulnerable against teams that played hard, and Warriors did exactly that.

39. Jazz Calm Grizzlies 103-94 In Memphis

In the midst of losing five games in six outings, the Jazz broke up the streak by beating the Grizzlies in Memphis. While Memphis would make the playoffs if they were to start today, at the time, it felt like a game the Jazz should have easily controlled.

The Jazz trailed by 15 at the half as it felt like the wheels were starting to fall off of the season. Bogdanovic’s 26 second-half points pushed the Jazz past Memphis, but it was clear the team was not clicking on all cylinders.

38. Jazz Bite Timberwolves in Minnesota 103-95

As the Jazz were struggling through the early stretch of the season, they got a bounceback win in Minnesota to split a home and home series with the Timberwolves.

The Jazz bench combined for just 16 points on 5-21 shooting, something that would become a prevalent theme over the first three months of the year. Home and home series are almost guaranteed to be split 1-1, so the Jazz did little more than take care of business on the road.

37. Jazz Come Back Against Warriors 114-106 In Utah

Over the last half-decade, a win over the Golden State Warriors would have earned its spot as one of the best wins of the season for any NBA team. This year, those wins are far more forgettable.

The Warriors have the league’s worst record by a good margin, and only saw Steph Curry for five games before the season was put on hiatus. On December 13, the Jazz knocked off the Warriors in Utah, despite trailing by seven at the half.

The Jazz bench shot a combined 2-13 to allow the Warriors to hang around, but ultimately Bojan Bogdanovic’s eight made threes and 32 points proved to be the difference.

36. Jazz Stable Pistons 104-81 At Home

In what looked like a premiere battle of prolific big men in the NBA, Gobert and Andre Drummond seemed to go blow for blow to finish with competing double-doubles.

Truthfully, Gobert’s 13 point, 19 rebound outing thoroughly dominated Drummonds 15 point, 13 rebound effort, as the Jazz were 19 points better than the Pistons with Gobert on the floor.

35. Jazz Keep Kings Winless 113-81 At Home

Beating a team by 32 points is a strong feat, however, Sacramento was hardly a kingmaker to begin the season.

The Jazz pushed the Kings to 0-3 on the year with the blowout victory, led by Bogdanovic’s 26 points. Perhaps most impressively, the Kings leading scorer in the game was Dewayne Dedmon who finished with just 11 points.

The Kings Bogdan Bogdanovic was the only other Sacramento player in double figures, finishing the game with 10 points.

𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 1️⃣6️⃣ made 3s through 3 quarters pic.twitter.com/8ChPKcJegc

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 27, 2019

34. Jazz Pants Knicks 128-104 in Salt Lake City

The New York Knicks haven’t been relevant for the better part of the last 20 years, and this season is no different. As a result, wins over the Knicks have been plentiful, and unremarkable.

The Jazz led by 10 after the first quarter, 19 at the break, and a staggering 27 after three quarters before the Knicks trimmed the final difference to 24. Most impressively, the Jazz had eight scorers finish in double figures, led by Emmanuel Mudiay’s 20 points in his best outing in a Jazz uniform.

33. Jazz Sting Hornets In Utah 109-92

Some games are won late, some games are steady climbs to victory, but sometimes they end before they ever really get started.

The Charlotte Hornets hung with the Jazz for the first 5:12 of the first quarter, trailing 10-9 midway through the period. Over the final 6:48 of the quarter, the Jazz outscored the lowly roster 19-3 to lead by 17 at the end of one.

The Jazz would maintain that lead over the final 36 minutes of the game, thanks to 20 points by the recently acquired Jordan Clarkson.

32. Jazz Record Final Win Over Pistons 111-105

Though the threat of coronavirus was making its way onto the NBA floor, nobody expected this to be the final win of the Jazz season before the league was sidelined.

The Jazz blew an enormous third-quarter lead as the Detroit Pistons closed to within three points with less than a minute remaining. However, six consecutive made free-throws from Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell earned the Jazz potentially their final win of the 2019-20 NBA season.

That's 5️⃣ wins in a row by the @utahjazz! #TakeNote #UTAatDET https://t.co/4y9YKwbGME

📷: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/blwwPpL60r

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 8, 2020

31. Jazz Continue Road Winning Streak In New York 112-104

The Knicks passed on the opportunity to select Mitchell in the 2017 draft in favor of french guard Frank Ntilikina. Though Mitchell wasn’t projected as a top-10 pick, Mitchells coach at Louisville Rick Pitino reported encouraged the Knicks to make the leap.

Mitchell led the Jazz to victory with a team-high 23 points, while Ntilikina had just four points in 19 minutes off the bench. The win marked the Jazz fourth straight on the road, despite woes at home.

30. Jazz Declare Victory Over Warriors 122-108 At Golden State

There are some games where the subtlety of Gobert’s impact allows him to get overshadowed by his more offensively gifted teammates. Then there are some games when Gobert looks like a create-a-player superstar in a video game franchise that wreaks havoc all over the floor by simply towering over the competition.

In Golden State, Gobert scored 25 points on 11-12 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds, and blocked two shots in 34 near-perfect minutes.

29. Jazz Dethrone Kings 123-101 in Utah

It seemed the Jazz were experiencing an incredible scoring leap when they were regularly having three players score in the 20s on any given night. Then, after the addition of Clarkson to the bench, the Jazz became a threat to have four players cross the 20 point mark every time they stepped on the floor.

That was the case for the Jazz when Bogdanovic (30), Gobert (28), Mitchell (22), and Clarkson (20) and broke the 20 barrier in a blowout victory over the Kings. Gobert missed just two of his 11 shots and was a stunning +32 over Sacramento.

28. Jazz Swat Hornets in Charlotte 114-107

Trailing by eight at the half, the Jazz got a terrific second-half performance from Mitchell to the tune of 16 points including 10 in the third quarter to cut into Charlotte’s lead before finishing with 26 on the night.

okay who had "Rudy Gobert dunk in the clutch" on their Christmas list? pic.twitter.com/CDFXMRW4vy

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 22, 2019

The Jazz survived 29 points from guard Terry Rozier to win their fifth straight game and got double-digit scoring performances from each member of their starting five. The game would mark the team’s last win before the roster shakeup that sent guard Dante Exum to Cleveland for Clarkson.

27. Jazz Bury Warriors 129-96 In San Francisco 

Seeing 30+ point victories in the NBA is rare. 30+ point victories on the road are even harder to come by, hence the Jazz blowout victory over the Warriors in San Francisco climbing up the quality victory list.

The Jazz led by 14 after the first quarter, 22 at the half, 31 points after three quarters, and ultimately won by 33 on the road. The Warriors are having a miserable year, but this was an impressive performance none the less.

26. Jazz Maul Grizzlies 126-112 In Utah

Though the win itself might not be one of the most remarkable of the season, the Jazz victory over the Memphis Grizzlies signaled the end of an ugly slide in which the team had lost three straight games and five out of six overall.

Seven Jazz players scored in double digits, led by Mitchell’s 22, but more importantly, it signaled a shift in the Jazz season back to their winning ways.

25. Jazz Clip Hawks In Atlanta 111-106

Beating a six-win Atlanta Hawks team generally isn’t something to write home about. Yet, the Jazz playing without point guard Mike Conley, on the road, while Hawks guard Trae Young and forward Jabari Parker were going off for big scoring nights presented the Jazz with more adversity than they were expecting.

With the Jazz trailing by one going into the final quarter, Donovan Mitchell had one of his best quarters of the season. The Jazz All-Star scored 15 points on 6-8 shooting, turning in a patented clutch performance en route to 30 points and a victory on the road.

24. Jazz Leash Timberwolves In Minnesota 127-116

Four games after Conley went down with a hamstring injury, the Jazz were wondering what the future of the roster looked like without their key offseason acquisition.

With the team needing a bench player to step up and fill the void, Joe Ingles had a breakout performance in Minnesota that would rescue the Jazz season. Ingles scored 23 points on 9-14 shooting, playing the point guard role in place of Conley.

The Jazz would go onto win 19 of their next 21 games, with Ingles performance against the Timberwolves supporting the change.

~soft touch~ pic.twitter.com/GBTh0rnCZg

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 12, 2019

23. Jazz Slow Cavaliers 126-113 In Cleveland

After a brutal return from the All-Star break, the Jazz were heading on a four-game East Coast road trip that felt like a critical turning point for the rest of the season.

Despite 32 points from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton and all five Cavs starters scoring in double digits, the Jazz got a bounce-back performance from Bojan Bogdanovic who had scuffled since the mid-season break.

Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 28 points and started the road trip off with an important win.

22. Jazz Cut Down The Nets In Utah 119-114

Trailing by 15 at the half without any solution for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, the Jazz needed a big second-half performance to get a victory.

Ingles stepped up to the challenge, helping to hold Irving to 10 second-half points on 4-17 shooting, while the Jazz outscored the Nets by 20 points over the final two periods to emerge with the win.

Emmanuel Mudiay scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to push the Jazz over the top.

21. Jazz trample Blazers In Salt Lake City 121-115

Leading by 20 heading into the fourth quarter, the Jazz appeared to have an easy victory in hand. But a frantic push from Portland Trailblazers guard CJ McCollum cut the Jazz enormous lead to just one point with 4:40 left in the fourth quarter.

The Jazz would hold on for the victory, answering the Blazers punch in the mouth with clutch threes from Bogdanovic and Mitchell to seal the victory.

JOE INGLES IS ON FIRE

He's got 14 points in the first 6:30 of the game. He's 5/5 from the floor and 4/4 from three. #TakeNotepic.twitter.com/Yqt35cSSQY

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 27, 2019

20. Jazz Charm Wizards In Washington 127-116

The Washington Wizards have been one of the league’s worst teams this season, but heading into the game without either Mitchell or Conley available put a winnable game in doubt.

Bogdanovic, Ingles, Rudy Gobert, and Jordan Clarkson answered the bell for the Jazz, each scoring at least 20 points to lead the shorthanded roster to victory. The Jazz overcame an 11 points half time deficit to steal the win in Washington.

19. Jazz Harness Magic In Utah 109-102

With the Jazz scuffling against the Orlando Magic through the first 42 minutes of the game, the team needed a spark to scrappy Orlando roster.

Mitchell found that spark with an enormous dunk driving through the point that reinvigorated the crowd and changed the outcome of the game. Sometimes a dunk is worth more than two points, and Mitchell proved that against the Magic.

𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 pic.twitter.com/Amz9KC8cGk

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 18, 2019

18. Jazz Cage Pelicans 128-120 At Home

Though New Orleans had a record of just 6-9 entering the game, there was a clear sense that the team was more talented than their record indicated.

Brandon Ingram turned in the first of several terrific performances against the Jazz this season, scoring 33 points to lead the Pelicans. However, Mitchell’s 37 points proved to be the foil the Jazz needed to down the Pelicans and give the team what coach Quin Snyder would call “a really good win.”

17. Jazz Block Bulls In Chicago 102-98

With a struggling offense, the Jazz needed an elite defensive performance to tame the aggressive Chicago Bulls roster.

Gobert proved to be the man for the Jazz turning in one of the more clutch defensive performances of his career blocking two late-game Bulls field goal attempts to preserve a close victory for the Jazz. Clarkson and Georges Niang’s 23 bench points were the lone offensive highlights for the team in the Windy City.

RUUUUUUUUUDY pic.twitter.com/b1g8NKYQMb

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 3, 2020

16. Jazz Catch Fire In Orlando To Sink Magic 109-96

Unable to put the Magic away for the first three quarters of the game, the Jazz needed to find something on the offensive side of the ball to turn the game in their favor.

Almost miraculously, the Jazz found that explosion at the end of the third quarter into the first three minutes of the fourth quarter knocking down seven three-point attempts in 10 offensive possessions to pull the rug out from under the Magic. It was a display of offensive power the Jazz had imagined in the summer and fully realized for five minutes in the state of Florida.

15. Jazz Block The Suns In Phoenix 96-95

The Phoenix Suns were one of the league’s surprise teams to begin the season despite former top overall draft pick DeAndre Ayton missing the first 25 games of the season for violating the league’s anti-drug policy.

The Jazz managed just 96 points, but held the Suns to 95 points thanks to 29 points from Bogdanovic on just 13 field goal attempts. The highlight of the game was dueling groin punches from Devin Booker to Gobert, and Mitchell to Aron Baynes resulting in technical fouls.

Donovan Mitchell really couldn’t get around an Aron Baynes screen so he resorted to an illegal low blow 😡 pic.twitter.com/lpGUZdOpdq

— SunOfficial Aron Baynes Fan Club (@BaynesFanClub) October 29, 2019

14. Jazz Get Early Season Victory Over Shorthanded Clippers 110-96

Over the course of an NBA season, team’s get lucky to face shorthanded rosters from time to time. That was the case as the Jazz faced the Los Angeles Clippers for the first of four meetings during the season without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

After a slow start to year, Conley had a breakout game for the Jazz, scoring 29 points, including five made threes to give the team a taste of what the point guard can offer when he’s playing his best.

13. Jazz Wrangle Mavericks In Dallas 123-119

Despite the final score implying a close road battle for the Jazz, the team’s performance in Dallas was one of the most complete of the year.

The Jazz led by eight after the first quarter, and 21 at the half, scoring 71 points through two quarters against the Luka Doncic-less Mavericks. Despite a furious push late to make the game close, the Jazz win in Dallas was one of the better outings on the road against a Western Conference Playoff team this season.

12. Jazz Out Race Pacers 112-88 In Utah

During the Jazz best stretch of basketball, it seemed nobody in the league could hang with the team. In no game was that more accurate than the team’s annihilation of Indiana Pacers.

Indiana was 12 games over .500 heading into Utah, and a Locke to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, but simply stood no chance against the Jazz at home. The Jazz held the Pacers to just 88 points, while keeping Indiana’s leading scorers (Aaron Holiday and Myles Turner) to just 12 points each for the game.

No Jazz player saw more than 32 minutes on the floor as the Jazz coasted to one of the easiest, and most impressive wins of the season.

11. Jazz Open Season With Win Over Thunder 100-95

At the time, nobody in the league knew how good the Oklahoma City Thunder would be this season. Despite a talented roster, the team appeared to be in rebuilding mode after trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook during the offseason.

The Jazz erased a six-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and held off the Chris Paul led Thunder thanks to 32 points and 12 rebounds from Donovan Mitchell.

Depending on how the season ends, the Jazz win over the Thunder to open the season might be one of their most important wins of the year.

Donovan Mitchell going to the rim with a purpose #TakeNote #utahjazz https://t.co/mswkFuB8kZ pic.twitter.com/3stkyAWBW3

— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) October 24, 2019

10. Jazz Overcome Blazers 117-114 In Salt Lake City

The Jazz have traditionally struggled when Mitchell has failed to score the ball efficiently. They’re even worse when an opposing superstar is in his groove.  Both of those scenarios were apparent when the Jazz faced the Portland Trailblazers in early February, but the Jazz broke with tradition and squeaked out a win anyway.

Damian Lillard scored 42 points against the Jazz, including 27 in the first half to help the Blazers build a 14 point halftime lead, while Mitchell was held to just 16 points for the game.

However, a lockdown defensive effort held the Blazers to just 42 second-half points, allowing the Jazz to control the game for most of the fourth quarter and avenge a 17 point loss in Portland just one week earlier.

9. Jazz Swish The Nets in Brooklyn 118-107

Capping their longest winning streak of the season, the Jazz cut down the Brooklyn Nets 118-107 to record their 10th consecutive win.

Mitchell returned from an illness that caused him to miss the previous game to score 25 points, while Joe Ingles matched his career-high of 27 points and the Jazz coasted to a double-digit victory.

The Jazz have been a team dominated by both positive and negative moment this season, and at no point was the momentum more than their backs than during this 10 game winning streak.

Wonder if @Joeingles7 told him before he faked it?

Did he tell you @ZachLowe_NBA? pic.twitter.com/wPLDo114yO

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 15, 2020

8. Jazz Block Mavericks 112-107 At Home

Occasionally throughout the NBA season, it feels like the entire basketball world has its eyes on one game. With a rare 5 pm tipoff in Salt Lake City, the world was truly watching as Rudy Gobert, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luka Doncic faced off at a time when much of Europe could tune in.

Doncic dominated the first quarter scoring 12 points and building an 11 point Mavericks lead after 12, but Quin Snyder’s adjustments throughout the game allowed the Jazz to limit Doncic’s brilliance.

With just 24 seconds left in the game, Gobert recovered for an improbable block against the Delon Wright to preserve the Jazz one point before finally putting the Mavericks away.  Gobert would finish with 22 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks, while connecting on all eight of his field-goal attempts to down Dallas in one of his most dominant performances of the season.

The reigning DPOY is LOCKED in 🔒 pic.twitter.com/YJE7vYHAnE

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 26, 2020

7. Jazz Outnumber 76ers 106-104 In Utah

The Jazz entered the offseason with their sights set on combo forward Tobias Harris as a free agent target. However, the Philadelphia 76ers opted to bring the forward back on a massive contract extension, forcing the Jazz to examine their contingency plans.

The resulting moves landed forward Bojan Bogdanovic in Utah, and against Philly in early November, the Jazz back up plan looked like the premiere option.

Bogdanovic scored 20 points, and the Jazz were +21 with him on the floor while Harris managed just 16 points in 34 forgettable minutes. The Jazz outlasted the 76ers 106-104 to give the team their best win through the first eight games of the season.

6. Jazz Enter All-Star Break By Cooling The Heat 116-101

Immediately following the All-Star announcements of Gobert and Mitchell, the Jazz would proceed to lose five consecutive games, appearing to be headed towards a disastrous close to the first half of the regular season.

However, the team found their footing with a win over the Trailblazers and proceeded to win four straight games heading into he All-Star break, capped off with a 15 victory over the Miami Heat.

Trailing by five at half time, the Jazz outscored Miami by 10 in each of the final two victories to burn the Heat, and enter the All-Star break with the longest winning streak in the NBA.

5. Jazz Win Controversial Finish In New Orleans 128-126. 

It seems every matchup between the Jazz and Pelicans was due for some type of controversy this season, but none more so than the Jazz two-point victory against New Orleans in early January.

In the midst of a 10 game win streak, the Jazz ran into the scrappy Pelicans team on the third game of a three-game road trip.

Bogdanovic and Brandon Ingram were the leading catalysts for their teams success, but ultimately it was Gobert who saved the day for the Jazz. After a missed Bogdanovic three that would have sealed a victory for the Jazz, Ingram went coast-to-coast for a layup attempt that would have sent the game to overtime.

Gobert intercepted Ingram at the rim for a game-saving block, though the league would later state that Ingram was fouled on the play.

Yes he did

𝒱𝑜𝓉𝑒: https://t.co/pbl1LNQ23K pic.twitter.com/Hkgi3LVflv

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 7, 2020

4. Jazz Charm Celtics In Boston 99-94

Barely a week after losing a tough battle in Salt Lake City against the Celtics, the Jazz got revenge on their foes in Green in Boston.

In the third game of a four-game East Coast road trip, the Jazz were facing their toughest opponent of the bunch. Though the Celtics were playing shorthanded, the Jazz struggled to get their offense firing on all cylinders.

With Mitchell struggling to an 11 point, 3-15 performance, Conley carried the team with maybe his best performance in a Jazz uniform. The point guard scored a team-high 25 points while handing out five assists, and grabbing three steals to seal the victory.

Jazz fans were once again reminded of the team’s high ceiling with Conley playing at his best.

MIKE
C
Y pic.twitter.com/uUYRRRTaup

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 7, 2020

3. Jazz Outsize Rockets In Houston 114-113

Going head to head with the Academy Awards, the Jazz were facing one of their toughest road tests of the season against the Houston Rockets. With the team trailing by two, Bogdanovic came through with a shot worthy of an Oscar.

After struggling for most of the game, Bogdanovic caught an inbound pass from Joe Ingles with 1.6 seconds left on the clock. With no option but to turn and fire, the Jazz forward sank a 35-foot three-point shot over PJ Tucker and James Harden.

The shot was only Bogdanovic’s second made field-goal of the game, but gave the Jazz one of their most improbable wins of the season.

BOGEY AT THE BUZZZZZEEEEERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! #TAKENOTE pic.twitter.com/87djt8z8My

— Zak Hicken (@zakhicken) February 10, 2020

2. Jazz Buck Milwaukee 103-100 In Utah

Like the Jazz victory over the Rockets, the team needed a clutch shot late to beat the team with the league’s best record.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer rode star Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 28 point, nine rebound second-half performance, it was once again Bogdanovic who got the last laugh.

After a strong closeout from Gobert forced Bucks star Khris Middleton into a traveling violation on a potential game-winner, the Jazz had one last chance at a victory.

With 1.3 seconds left and Ingles once again inbounding the ball, Bogdanovic split to the baseline for a fadeaway three-point that fell through the net as the buzzer expired. The shot propelled Bogdanovic to a game-high 33 points and one of the Jazz best wins of the season.

1. Jazz Sink Clippers In Los Angeles 120-107

While it lacked the last second flair of the wins over the Rockets and Bucks, perhaps no Jazz victory was more improbably than the team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers shortly after Christmas day.

When both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George suit up this season, the Clippers are nearly unbeatable. However, on one memorable Saturday night, the Jazz found the right combination to avenge an early-season late-game loss in Los Angeles to down the Clippers superstars.

Mitchell scored a game-high 30 points, including an emphatic fourth-quarter dunk after driving past Leonard to help the Jazz steal the win in LA.

The Jazz held Leonard and George to just 39 points on a combined 12-44 shooting, turning in their most complete performance of the season against one of the league’s most dangerous teams.

it must hurt to be a rim around @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/nwocbj3Z0k

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 29, 2019