Full Jazz Roster Thrives In Blowout Win Over Trail Blazers
Dec 6, 2024, 11:13 PM | Updated: Dec 9, 2024, 7:28 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz played their most dominant 48 minutes of the season blowing out the Portland Trail Blazers 141-99.
John Collins led the Jazz with 20 points, while the Trail Blazers got 19 points each from Jerami Grant and Dalano Banton.
Related: Live Blog – Jazz Beat Blazers In Portland
Ten Facts Show Jazz Dominance Over Trail Blazers
It’s difficult to overstate just how lopsided Friday’s victory was in favor of the Jazz, but there was plenty of statistical evidence.
1. The Jazz built a double-digit lead just 3:19 into the game, and the closest Portland got over the final 45 minutes was eight points.
2. The Trail Blazers never closed the gap below 20 points in the second half and trailed by at least 30 over the final 16:37 of the game.
3. For the first time in franchise history, nine different Jazz players scored in double digits. They’re the only team to do it this season.
Tonight was the first time in franchise history nine players scored 10+ points in a single game. This is also the first team to do so this season. 💜#TakeNote presented by @LVT_USA pic.twitter.com/gQV7Hr6tjR
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 7, 2024
4. As a team, the Jazz entered the 50/40/90 club against Portland, shooting 55 percent from the floor, 43 percent from three, and 91 percent from the free-throw line. The Jazz have combined to shoot 50/40/90 40 times in franchise history, and are 32-8 in those games.
5. The Jazz recorded a season-high 11 blocks, led by Walker Kessler who finished with five.
6. Kessler’s 13 point, 17 rebound, five block performance was the first time in his career he’d recorded at least 10 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in a single game.
Related: Walker Kessler Makes Play On Both Ends
Victor Wembanyama is the only other player who has done it this season.
we ❤️ when Blocker Kessler turns into Dunker Kessler in the same play 🤠#TakeNote | @walkerkessler13 pic.twitter.com/m2nhqQo1iB
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 7, 2024
7. Several Jazz players recorded a season-high in points including Johnny Juzang (22), Isaiah Collier (12), Drew Eubanks (12), and Svi Mykhailiuk (13).
8. Nine of the Jazz’s ten players who see the floor had a plus-minus of at least +10, and no Jazz player was in the negative.
9. The Jazz’s 141 points were a season-high, while the Trail Blazers 99 points were a season-low by an opponent.
10. The team’s 42 point victory was the largest margin since April of 2021 when they beat the Sacramento Kings by 49.
Anfernee Simons Development Vs. Keyonte George
Now 22 games into his sophomore season, Keyonte George continues to be one of the Jazz’s most mercurial players.
He’s a threat to score an efficient 30 points on any night, only to follow it up with a high-turnover, low-impact performance the next.
Entering Friday’s game, George was shooting 38 percent from the floor, 33 percent from three, and 83 percent from the free-throw line.
I think Keyonte George’s statistical production can mask how raw he actually is.
And for that reason, he gets held to a tougher standard than the other young players on the Jazz roster.
But given time, he’s got a ton of tools to work with. He’s worth investing the time in.
— Ben Anderson (@benshoops.bsky.social) December 6, 2024 at 9:04 PM
Those are the types of numbers that give you pause when projecting his future as a starting NBA guard.
But for anyone who has followed the Trail Blazers, those numbers look familiar.
Portland’s Anfernee Simons had similar shooting splits over his first two years in the league, connecting on 40 percent of his field goals, 33 percent of his threes, and 79 percent of his free throws.
After a slow start to his career, Simons became one of the league’s more dangerous shooters.
Over his last five seasons, Simons is shooting 43 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three on an impressive 7.4 attempts per game.
Slicing & dicing 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/L6H9T9sgNS
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 7, 2024
Simons was younger than George when entered the NBA, so he may have faced a steeper learning curve, but the two have similar physical tools, and their skill sets are comparable.
The Trail Blazers guard might not develop into an All-Star, but since becoming a starter in 2022, he’s averaging 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game with very healthy shooting percentages.
If George could offer similar results beginning next season, it’s a safe bet they’d be satisfied with his growth.
Against the Trail Blazers, he finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-13 from the floor and 2-6 from three.
Jazz Wrap Road Trip Against Kings
The Jazz will now travel to face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night to wrap up their three-game road trip.
Sacramento blasted the San Antonio Spurs, 140-113 on Friday night as four Kings scored at least 22 points in the victory.
FINAL: Kings defeat the Spurs, 140-113.
👑 DeMar DeRozan: 23 PTS, 3 REB
👑 Domantas Sabonis: 22 PTS, 16 REB
👑 De’Aaron Fox: 22 PTS, 8 AST
👑 Malik Monk: 22 PTS, 9 REBKings Win presented by @redhawkcasino pic.twitter.com/qeZ6nTJWuH
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 7, 2024
The Kings blew out the Jazz 113-96 in Salt Lake City on October 29, and survived with a narrow 121-117 victory at home on November 16.
The two teams will meet one final time on February 26.
After missing the last seven games, Kyle Filipowski is expected to rejoin the Jazz in Sacramento.
Filipowski suffered a sprained right ankle on November 21 against the San Antonio Spurs, followed by left leg inflammation that has sidelined him for more than two weeks.
The rookie was averaging 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists as a starter over his previous five games leading up to the injury.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday 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.
