John Collins Leads Jazz In Slow First Half Against Orlando Magic

ORLANDO – John Collins was the only Utah Jazz player to reach double figures in the first half against the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

Collins posted 14 points and five rebounds and led a late second-quarter Jazz run.

from Orlando to West Palm Beach 🚗💨#TakeNote | @jcollins20_ pic.twitter.com/3TdISq2oq2

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 1, 2024

Collins scored 11 of his points in the second as Utah outscored Orlando 30-24.

He shot an impressive 6/7 from the field and 2/2 from three in the first half.

Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton were the next leading scorers for Utah with 9 and 8 points respectively.

at the half! pic.twitter.com/JhWh6b81xC

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 1, 2024

With two minutes left in the half, the Jazz were down by 13. Collins led a late 11-0 run to make it a one-possession lead.

The Jazz trailed the Magic by two at the break, 53-51.

Jazz Slumping Since Trade Deadline

The Jazz opted to be sellers at the NBA trade deadline moving center Kelly Olynyk and wing Ochai Agbaji to the Toronto Raptors while trading forward Simone Fontecchio to the Detroit Pistons.

Since the dramatic shakeup the Jazz are just 1-6, including Tuesday’s 27-point loss against the Atlanta Hawks to open their three-game Eastern Conference road trip.

It’s the @utahjazz mailbag: What is going on with Walker Kessler and his role on the team?

Plus, what does the future hold for Lauri Markkanen?#TakeNote https://t.co/dvrYbkSFsf

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 28, 2024

The Jazz now sit at 27-32 on the season, four games back of the Golden State Warriors who own the 10th and final seeding in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament race.

The Magic face the Jazz as they look to continue their recent hot stretch as they prepare for a playoff push.

Orlando has won nine of their last 12, and sit just a half-game back of the sixth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the East.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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