Pistons Dismantle Jazz 134-106 Ahead Of Road Trip
Mar 3, 2025, 10:23 PM | Updated: Mar 4, 2025, 2:37 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz were blown out at home by the Detroit Pistons 134-106 finishing their nine-game homestand with a 3-6 record.
Kyle Filipowski scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Jazz while Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 29.
Game Blog: Pistons Thrash Jazz In Utah
Fontecchio Trade Was Right Move For Jazz
Now 13 months removed from the deal, it looks clear the Jazz made the right decision to trade Simone Fontecchio to the Pistons for the 2024 second-round draft pick that turned into Kyle Filipowski.
In addition to his 25 points, the Jazz rookie added eight rebounds in 25 minutes against the Pistons, and is now 19-34 from three in his last eight appearances.
“Kyle developing his perimeter shot changes how he’s guarded, changes things that we can do with him on the floor,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Over his first 37 games, Filipowski shot just 30 percent from the three-point line, but has seen that number climb to 39 percent for the year.
Fontecchio proved to be a reliable three-point shooter with the Jazz, and upped his averages across the board over 16 appearances with the Pistons after the trade deadline, but hasn’t been able to replicate that success after Detroit game him a two-year, $16 million contract over the summer.
𝗞𝗬𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣🎯𝗪𝗦𝗞𝗜 pic.twitter.com/yxqWj8GniH
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 4, 2025
The 29-year-old is averaging 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 38 percent from the floor and 31 percent from three, and his 17.3 minutes per night rank 10th on the team.
Filipowski’s overall upside remains unknown, and the rookie may have struggled to earn many minutes on a Pistons team competing for home-court advantage in the first round of hte playoffs.
But the Jazz didn’t need a 29-year-old wing on the roster, and getting a positive return on Fontecchio’s expiring contract was quality work from the team’s front office.
Jazz Will Miss Time Spent At Home
The Jazz will now head back on the road for a five-game road trip with stops in Washington, Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston, and Memphis, before playing their next game in Salt Lake City.
With the added benefit of the All-Star break, the Jazz haven’t played a road game since February 10.
“We all get to sleep in our own beds and not take our clothes out of the suitcase and we’re not changing time zones, and you’re not flying late at night,” Hardy said. “I think the practice facilities are always better equipped to take care of our players than any hotel setup that we have.”
The @utahjazz now head out on a five-game road trip, and have just nine games left at Delta Center overall.
Big games coming up against Washington, Toronto, and Philadelphia before the end of the week.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 4, 2025
The Jazz’s road swing will keep them away from home until March 14 when they host the Toronto Raptors, only to head back out on the road two days later to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The team will also miss playing in front of its home fans who despite the team’s 15-46 record continue to fill Delta Center on a nightly basis.
“Playing in front of your home crowd is a massive boost,” Hardy said, “especially for a young team like ours.”
With 21 games left in the season, the Jazz will play nine at home, and 12 on the road. The regular season ends on April 13.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at 5 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.
