Kelly Olynyk Plays Point Center Role For Utah Jazz In Washington

WASHINGTON – Jazz center Kelly Olynyk was looking like a 6-foot-11 point guard in the first half against the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

From perfect lob passes to off-dribble three-pointers, Olynyk showed off his versatility against Washington.

at the capitol, 𝗹𝗼𝗯bying for more buckets #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/TMqlbzcwcf

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 26, 2024

Olynyk posted 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists on 57% shooting in the first half.

He was one of three Jazzmen to reach double figures through two quarters.

Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 13 and Jordan Clarkson added 11 off the bench.

RELATED: Lauri Markkanen Gets Off To Scorching Hot Start In Nations Capitol

at the half, coming right back! pic.twitter.com/5ZICCm53A5

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 26, 2024

Olynyk also hit a stepback three in the second quarter that left Washington big man Daniel Gafford scrambling to contest.

Olynyk has only played the Wizards one other time in a Jazz jersey. He posted 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 28 minutes.

He posted nearly identical stats in just 12 minutes played in the first half on Thursday.

Jazz Look To Snap Losing Streak As They Face Wizards

The Utah Jazz will look to snap their three-game losing skid when they face the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

After a 15-4 stretch, the Jazz have dropped three straight games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and the New Orleans Pelicans.

After the losses, the Jazz road trip will ease up significantly with games against the Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets before facing the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Slow starts have doomed the @utahjazz in their last three outings as they’ve dropped below .500 on the season.

“We’re just not playing hard enough,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.#takenote https://t.co/Rr67GMzr0c

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 24, 2024

Meanwhile, the Wizards have lost five straight after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Before facing the Jazz, the Wizards announced that head coach Wes Unseld Jr. was being moved into a front-office role and named Brian Keefe the interim coach.

Utah currently sits at 22-23 and in the 10th seed in the West.

Washington’s 7-36 record is the second-worst in the NBA ahead of only the 5-39 Detroit Pistons.

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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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