Jazz Turn Attention To 76ers After Celtics Debacle
Jan 5, 2024, 8:09 PM
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics defends a shot from Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz never led in their 126-97 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics opened the game on a 10-0 run as the Jazz missed their first six shots of the game and never truly found their footing in Boston.
Jayson Tatum scored 30 points to lead the Celtics while Lauri Markkanen had 17 points to lead the Jazz.
Jazz Have Terrible Shooting Night
One game removed from shooting better than 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three, and 90 percent from the three-point line as a team, the Jazz had one of the worst shooting nights in franchise history.
“We just looked timid around the basket early in the game,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “We shot under 50 percent in the paint tonight.”
For only the 13th time since the Jazz moved to Utah, the team shot below 37 percent from the floor, below 18 percent from three, and below 68 percent from the free-throw line.
And, for the 13th time, they lost the game when shooting so poorly.
Lauri: 17p | 5a | 5r
Collin: 13p | 1r | 3a | 3s
John: 12p | 11r | 2a | 1b
Keyonte: 12p | 4r | 1a#TakeNote | @LVT_USA pic.twitter.com/Fsm1foqHbi— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 6, 2024
The last time the Jazz shot this poorly they fell to the Dallas Mavericks 118-68 in 2018. They also shared those shooting splits in an 88-72 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017.
“The tone of the game was established early with our lack of ability to convert around the basket,” Hardy added, “then obviously not making any threes.”
The Jazz connected on a season-low six three-pointers despite 34 attempts, marking only the fourth time in franchise history the Jazz have shot 6-34 or worse from downtown.
Twice before the Jazz have shot just 6-34 from three, and only once, the 50 points loss to the Mavericks in 2018, did they shoot 6-35.
“Our locker room right now is not happy with the performance tonight and is ready to get back out there tomorrow,” Hardy said.
Jazz Turn Page To 76ers
After their loss to the Celtics, the Jazz will turn their attention to the Philadelphia 76ers who were also on the wrong side of a 128-92 blowout loss to the New York Knicks on Friday.
The 76ers own the third-best record in the Eastern Conference at 23-11, but are just 3-3 in their last six games.
Despite failing to break the 100-point mark against the Knicks, the 76ers have one of the league’s top offenses.
Joel jam. pic.twitter.com/aDO7940udJ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 6, 2024
Philadephia owns the fourth-best offensive rating and the second-best defensive rating.
The 76ers trail only the Celtics when it comes to Net Rating nearly halfway through the NBA season.
Though they were blown out by the Knicks, Joel Embiid continued his impressive run of 30-point, 10-rebound games against New York.
The six-time All-Star recorded a 30-point double-double for the 15th straight game, and now sits one game shy of tying Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who did it 16 straight times to set an NBA record.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will face the 76ers on Saturday at 5:30 pm MST in Philadelphia. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and can be 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.
