Jazz End Seven Game Marathon Trip With Loss To Magic

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz ended their three-game road trip with a 107-100 loss to the Orlando Magic.

With Mike Conley resting after playing last night against Miami, the Jazz struggled to execute down the stretch turning the ball over 17 times, including seven times in the fourth quarter, while shooting just 38 percent from the floor and 19 percent from the three-point line.

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert scored 21 points each but were outdueled by the Magic’s Cole Anthony who scored a game-high 33 points on 13-20 shooting to lead Orlando their third win of the season.

The @utahjazz blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead and fell to the @OrlandoMagic 107-100. #takenote https://t.co/KZnty6JRYZ

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 8, 2021

Magic Attack Tired Jazz

The Magic attacked the right way all night, trying to run at every opportunity they could knowing this was the second half of back-to-back games for the Jazz.

It allowed Orlando to get off to a quick start and forced the Jazz to burn significant energy in the second quarter to erase an 18 point lead just to keep the game close at halftime.

The Magic don’t execute particularly well as a whole, and the young players are prone to making mistakes on when and where to challenge the Jazz, but by running they simplified the gameplan and made the game less about talent and experience, and more about energy.

COLE 🔥

14 PTS in the third quarter

23 PTS in 23 MIN

📺: https://t.co/3b5LcPuNP3 https://t.co/TCApEZ3qFl pic.twitter.com/r3eH8O3Qf8

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 8, 2021

The Jazz, on the third game of a three-game road trip, and playing their seventh game in their seventh different arena over the last 12 days, simply didn’t have the energy they needed to run away the less talented Magic roster.

Late in the game, the Magic were able to come away with important 50-50 balls while the Jazz struggled with seven turnovers ultimately leading to the loss.

Jazz Sixth-Men Struggling

The Jazz continue to get very little from their two Sixth Man of the Year candidates as Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles combined to shoot just 4-22 from the floor and 3-18 from the three-point line.

It’s a dramatic change from last season when the Jazz could count on having the two best players off the bench on the floor each night. This year both players have struggled to contribute consistently, leading to uneven performances from the Jazz.

The @utahjazz have three players shooting 35% or better from three.

Then the next five shooters on the team are shooting 30% or worse.

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 8, 2021

Clarkson has shot better than 40 percent this season just three times in 10 outings. Ingles meanwhile has broken the 40 percent barrier just one time in his last five outings.

The poor play for last year’s Sixth Man of the Year winner and runner-up has put pressure on the Jazz starters to have big games every night on the offensive end, but when Mitchell finishes with just 21 points on 24 attempts, and Conley doesn’t play, they aren’t getting enough from the back end of the guard rotation to win games.

Jazz Return To Utah For Five Straight Games

The good news after the loss to Orlando is the Jazz return home for five straight games at home before returning the road.

The bad news, however, is three of the five games come against teams in the top eight of the Eastern Conference including matchups against the Heat, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Toronto Raptors, while the other two come against the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers.

The Jazz should have a chance to stay atop the Western Conference standings with 10 of their next 12 games at home and 16 of their next 22.

That could help the Jazz improve their shooting with extended time in a familiar gym after failing to make 10 threes in a game for the first time in more than a season.

Follow @benshoops