Familiar Problems Plague Jazz In Loss To Bucks
Nov 7, 2024, 9:22 PM | Updated: 9:27 pm
Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Patty Mills #8 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Despite a strong first half, the Utah Jazz fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 123-100 to drop to 1-7 on the season.
The Jazz were led by Jordan Clarkson who had 18 points off the bench.
Giannis Antentokounmpo scored 31 points for Milwaukee while Damian Lillard led all scorers with 34.
Related: Second Half Spoils Jazz Lead In Milwaukee
Hot Shooting Abandons Jazz Against Bucks
The Jazz led 61-57 at halftime set up by strong shooting from the roster’s second unit.
Johnny Juzang and Jordan Clarkson knocked down six of the Jazz’s 14 first-half threes to outpace Milwaukee, but the team’s shooting luck abandoned them over the final two periods.
The Jazz shot just 3-15 from three in the second half, including 1-9 in the third quarter as the team fell behind 88-77 heading into the final period.
Lit the flame early and drained four from deep 🔥#PlayerHighlights presented by @zionsbank pic.twitter.com/IeKrnN3Dvs
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 8, 2024
The Bucks casually dismissed the Jazz over the final 12 minutes, fueled by eight fourth quarter turnovers resulting in 10 Bucks points.
“We had a third quarter that was pretty ugly in a lot of ways, from a turnover standpoint and a shot-making standpoint,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Entering the night the Jazz ranked dead last in the NBA in turnovers per game at 19.1, a number that will climb after committing 22 against Milwaukee.
The steal and the slam.
Instant impact from AJax! pic.twitter.com/S0A1mektjE
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 8, 2024
The Jazz are tied with the Orlando Magic for the worst three-point shooting average at 30.3, and though they connected on 41 percent of their threes against the Bucks, they shot just 20 percent from downtown in the second half.
Lauri Markkanen returned from a three-game absence due to back spasms and shot just 3-10 from the floor, scoring eight points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out four assists.
Keyonte George shot 3-11, recording 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
So far this season, the Jazz’s best moments have come when they are making shots at a pace that is impossible to replicate for long stretches. Until the Jazz recognize how to keep games close without superior shotmaking, the losses will continue to pile up.
“Being able to recenter ourselves in a game is a skill that we have to learn. We can’t expect to play 48 clean minutes every night,” Hardy said. “We’ve got to be able to continue to come into time outs, understand what’s happening in the game and recenter ourselves.”
Hardy Goes With Older Lineup Against Bucks
With Markkanen and Clarkson returning to the lineup, the Jazz played an older rotation against the Bucks.
After making three starts, rookie Kyle Filipowski was related to four minutes after the game was well out of hand.
“If anybody is going to have an emotional reaction to who plays every single night, it’s going to be a really hard year,” Hardy said. “We have a lot of young players, and that means we have to think about the big picture of the team, the future, and each of these guys individually.”
Veteran Patty Mills played 16 minutes for the Jazz while Drew Eubanks was on the floor for 18.
. @isaiahcollier04 is all set for his first one 🤗 pic.twitter.com/0taIP07RcO
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 8, 2024
Isaiah Collier made his debut with the team after returning from a hamstring injury during the preseason.
The 29th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft recorded one assist, one turnover, and missed his only field goal attempt in four minutes on the court.
“Isaiah has practiced with us one time, Kyle is going to play a lot — there’s only so many minutes to be played in a game,” Hardy added. “There’s a lot of factors that go into the decisions of who plays and who doesn’t.”
Sophomore Brice Sensaaugh recorded the fewest minutes on the team, playing just three minutes after averaging 14 minutes per contest over the first seven games.
Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday at 3 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
