Jazz Fall To Hawks On Trae Young Half Court Heave
Jan 7, 2025, 10:59 PM | Updated: Jan 8, 2025, 11:02 am
SALT LAKE CITY – Trae Young stunned the Utah Jazz with a half-court buzzer-beater as the Atlanta Hawks won in Salt Lake City 124-121.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 35 points, tying his season-high, while knocking down 8-15 from the three-point line.
Game Blog: Jazz Lose At The Buzzer
Hawks, Trae Young Sink Jazz At The Buzzer
Young’s shot contributed to one of the wildest finishes in Jazz history.
With nine seconds left and the Jazz trailing by three, the Hawks blew up Will Hardy’s inbound play, but the ball landed in Collin Sexton’s hands, and the guard calmly drained the game-tying three-point shot with four seconds left to play.
Without calling a timeout, Young caught the ball 75 feet from the hoop, dribbled to halfcourt, and drained the game-winner as the clock expired.
One of the craziest finishes in @utahjazz history.
Collin Sexton ties the game on the broken play, only for Trae Young to win it for the @ATLHawks from halfcourt. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/eFHGATc3ls
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 8, 2025
“He made a tough shot,” Sexton said. “I feel like I could have pressed up a little bit, but you got to live with those at the end of day.”
Young’s buzzer-beater capped an otherwise unremarkable shooting performance. The All-Star guard recorded a rare 24-point, 20-assist outing, but shot just 6-16 from the floor, including 3-10 from three.
The guard is only the third player in NBA history to record a 20-point, 20-assist outing against the Jazz, joining Kevin Johnson in 1991, and Jason Kidd in 1996.
“It’s the NBA, good players sometimes make shots like that,” Markkanen said. “He’s obviously one of them.”
With the loss, the Jazz fell to 9-26 on the season, while the Hawks improved to 19-18.
Patty Mills Unlocked
Patty Mills played 18 minutes and seven seconds against the Hawks, his third most in a Jazz uniform while attempting a season-high 14 shots.
Mills was on fire in the first quarter, connecting on three three-pointers en route to nine points.
“He got hot early, which I think was a big lift for our team,” Hardy said. “I think Patty is a guy that the team has a ton of respect for.”
Patty Mills catches fire 🔥🔥🔥fopr @utahjazz against @ATLHawks https://t.co/wptc4LFNRF
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 8, 2025
Mills’ shooting cooled off, but his energy remained, especially on the defensive end where the guard recorded three steals.
“He’s a very passionate competitor, he’s an all-time teammate,” Hardy added. “He’s just pumping the guys up, trying to inspire them with his energy.”
The Jazz didn’t sign Mills to fill big minutes this season, but with a litany of injuries throughout the roster, having a savvy veteran who still wants to lace them up is a positive for the team.
“We’re obviously trying to get better as a group and move forward and have fun at the end of the day,” Mills said. “That’s what it was tonight.”
Elsewhere, Zion Williamson Returns For Pelicans
While it doesn’t apply to the Jazz’s game against the Hawks, Zion Williamson’s return for the New Orleans Pelicans is notable for fans who are closely monitoring the standings.
The Pelicans are one of four teams in the NBA who own a worse record than the Jazz, and perhaps the team most likely to overtake them in the standings by the end of the season.
Williamson, the Pelicans best player, has appeared in just six games this season prior to Tuesday, and the team was 2-4 with him in the lineup.
Without him, they’re just 5-25.
ZION 360 WINDMILL 🤯
WELCOME BACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XJqRgq3xZP
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2025
New Orleans has been one of the most injury-riddled teams in the league this season, so their 7-29 start to the year may be deceiving.
Amid a generally deep roster, only relative unknowns Yves Missi, Brandon Boston, Javonte Green, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl have played more than 30 games.
Notables CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Tre Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, Jose Alvarado, and Williams have all played 23 or fewer.
Though they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Williamson’s return, with the majority of the Pelicans roster retaking the floor, they should start to win games at a higher clip.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Miami Heat on Thursday at 7 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, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
