Kelly Olynyk Leaves Pelicans Defense Guessing With Series Of Fakes

NEW ORLEANS – Kelly Olynyk got all the way to the basket for a lay-in after faking out the New Orleans Pelicans defense with a shot fake and a pass fake.

The fakes were so convincing that Olynyk even had the cameraman panning to the wrong area.

the fake was so good he lost the cameraman too 😳#TakeNote | @KellyOlynyk pic.twitter.com/bZ5BUpMQkX

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 24, 2024

Olynyk had a productive first half off of the bench in New Orleans.

In his first eight minutes, Olynyk posted seven points, two rebounds, and two assists.

Utah went down big in the first half and looked to make a comeback.

from one big fella to another 🤝 pic.twitter.com/vutgwM8mPR

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 24, 2024

The Jazz went down by ten in the first quarter and the Pelicans extended that lead to 20 in the second.

Utah has gone down by double-digits 16 times in the first quarter this season. They are 2-14 in those games.

Jazz Look To Snap Losing Streak Against Pelicans

The Utah Jazz will look to snap their two-game losing streak when they travel to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the last month, but have dropped back-to-back games for the first time since December 8-11.

After a slow start to the season, the Jazz have reinserted themselves into the Western Conference playoff race.

Jazz Injury Report:

*QUESTIONABLE – Kris Dunn (illness)

OUT – Taylor Hendricks (G League)

OUT – Johnny Juzang (G League)

OUT – Micah Potter (G League)

OUT – Jason Preston (G League)

OUT – Brice Sensabaugh (G League) pic.twitter.com/TC1ikiSSPb

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 23, 2024

Utah has climbed from the 13th seed in the West to 10th. They are currently tied with the Los Angeles Lakers at 22-22 in the standings.

Tuesday’s game could have significant playoff implications with the Jazz sitting just 3.5 games back of the fifth-seeded Pelicans.

The Jazz are 2-1 against New Orleans this season and could clinch a playoff tiebreaker with a win over the Pelicans in their final meeting of the regular season.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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