Sexton Puts Heat Defender On Skates Before Drilling Three
Dec 31, 2022, 9:12 PM
Collin Sexton of the Utah Jazz (Photo: Deseret News/Ben B. Braun)
(Photo: Deseret News/Ben B. Braun)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton put a Miami Heat defender on skates before drilling a three-pointer in the fourth quarter on Saturday.
As the shot clock was running down, Collin Sexton crossed over Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo before hitting a three-pointer before the shot clock expired.
That gave the Jazz a 106-104 lead over the Heat with 8:13 remaining in the game. Sexton had 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, and one steal on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
Young. Bull. Buzzer. Beater.
now say that 5 times fast 😈#TakeNote | @CollinSexton02 pic.twitter.com/kdEe46VmHj
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 1, 2023
Markkanen Answers Criticism Against Sacramento
The leading narrative coming out of the Jazz’s loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday was the lack of impact Markkanen had in the fourth quarter.
The Jazz’s leading scorer entered the final period with 29 points but went scoreless over the final 12 minutes on 0-6 shooting.
Though Markkanen led the Jazz in fourth-quarter field goal attempts, they were mostly passive looks including three missed three-pointers.
Against Sacramento, Markkanen erased that talking point.
The 26-year-old scored 11 of his 36 points in the fourth, including seven points in the final 2:01 of the game to give the Jazz the lead and a chance to win the game.
Ultimately, Markkanen’s effort wasn’t enough, but it was the type of performance the forward will have to turn in consistently if he wants to be the man for the Jazz.
It felt good coming out of my hand,” Markkanen said of his final miss. “I’d made couple of shots before that, but it just didn’t go my way today.”
But, it’s what Markkanen did before the final possession that should be encouraging to Jazz fans.
The Jazz big man hit a nine-foot runner off an assist from Jordan Clarkson, knocked down a three with 1:03 left to play despite having missed his first six attempts of the game, and then hit a difficult 12-footer after creating space off the dribble with 36 seconds left to play.
At seven-feet tall, with his athleticism and shooting ability, Markkanen shouldn’t struggle to create shots for himself late, even if he hasn’t done it often in the NBA.
The Jazz’s third straight close loss was difficult, but Markkanen’s growth against the Kings was a promising sign.
Utah Jazz and Miami Heat Broadcast
The Utah Jazz and Miami Heat game is being televised on AT&T SportsNet and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. It can also be streamed on DirecTV Stream and FuboTV.
