Collin Sexton Drains Stepback Three Over Atlanta Defender

ATLANTA – Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton broke down the Atlanta Hawks defender before stepping back and making a shot from deep.

Sexton and Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz in scoring at the half with ten apiece.

𓄀 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏’ 𓄀#TakeNote | @CollinSexton02 pic.twitter.com/oo5Oq18SjP

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2024

Sexton shot an impressive 4/7 from the field and added two steals.

Collin Sexton is actually from Georgia. He was born in a city called Marietta which is about 20 minutes from Atlanta.

The Georgia native heated up a bit in the second quarter to help the Jazz slow the Hawks’ momentum.

Utah lost the first quarter by eight. They were a bit more competitive overall in the second but still trailed by 11 at halftime.

it’s the little dance after the bucket for us 😈#TakeNote | @CollinSexton pic.twitter.com/tyJZwgQhvp

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 28, 2024

Markkanen scored 8 of his 10 points in the second quarter.

Even with the rookies increased roles, Markkanen and Sexton remain the two standout offensive options for the Jazz.

Quin Snyder, Hawks Play Key Role In Jazz Immediate Future

There may be no team that has more influence on the immediate future of the Utah Jazz than Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks.

With the two teams set to face one another on Tuesday night, Jazz fans would be wise to track the Hawks in the standings over the final six weeks of the NBA season.

It will mark the first time the Jazz have faced Snyder since he left the team in the summer of 2022.

a warm welcome back 💟#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/XijOo4n3Ev

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 27, 2024

If the playoffs began today the Jazz would own the 11th-best lottery odds of moving up into the top four spots of the NBA Draft.

RELATED: Quin Snyder ‘Grateful’ For Seven Years With Jazz

But, if they didn’t hit on that 9.4 percent chance of moving up, they’d owe their selection to the Thunder. Enter the Hawks, who at 25-32, own the 10th-worst record in the league.

If Utah falls behind Atlanta in the standings, the odds of keeping their first-round pick would climb to 80.4 percent.

With just 1.5 games separating the Jazz and Hawks, the outcome of Tuesday’s game could be enormously consequential.

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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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