Kyle Filipowski Career Night Lifts Jazz Over Portland 133-126
Apr 9, 2025, 10:50 PM
Kyle Filipowski #22 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball (Photo by China Wong/Getty Images)
(Photo by China Wong/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Kyle Filipowski helped the Utah Jazz snap their nine-game losing streak, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 133-126 in overtime.
With the win, the Jazz moved to 17-63 on the season, and are now tied with the Washington Wizards for the worst record in the NBA.
Game Blog: Jazz Outlast Trail Blazers In Overtime
Kyle Filipowski Lifts Jazz Over Trail Blazers
Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski had arguably the best performance from any rookie in the NBA this season, recording career highs in points with 30 and rebounds with 18, while dishing out five assists and grabbing three steals.
“From a stat standpoint, it’s his best game as a pro,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I think Flip did a really good job tonight of using the threat of the three ball to do a lot of the other things he’s really good at.”
𝗙𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡’ 𝗢𝗨𝗧 over tonight’s performance 🎶
From dunking, to forcing OT,,, watch it all again ⤵️#PlayerHighlights presented by @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/ntubH6icwQ
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 10, 2025
Filipowski snapped out of a recent cold shooting streak, knocking down 2-5 from the three-point line, and 13-17 field goals overall.
“That’s the Flip that I grew up with,” Keyonte George said. “Being on [Team] USA to seeing him on the [AAU] circuit, I don’t even know how to explain it, that’s his game. That’s who he is, he could be that type of guy every single night.”
Filipowski is the first Jazz rookie to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, and only the fifth Jazz player to do it at any point in their career.
Kyle Filipowski is only the fifth player in @utahjazz history to record at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a game.
Joins Karl Malone (20x), Carlos Boozer (1x), Paul Millsap (1x), and Al Jefferson (1x).
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 10, 2025
Since 2000, only LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Scottie Barnes, Austin Reeves, and Victor Wembanyama have recorded those statistics as a rookie.
While some might be surprised to see a second-round draft pick put up these types of numbers, Filipowski said his draft night slip only upped his motivation.
“It’s just a reminder to myself of the struggle I went through,” Filipowski said. “So just getting that chance to prove that to the whole league, that’s something that definitely fuels me.”
In what has been one of the worst rookie classes in recent NBA history, the Jazz have found a gem in Filipowski and a potential long-term asset in the rebuild.
Difference Between 17 Wins And 37 Wins
There are similarities and differences between Hardy’s three seasons overseeing the Jazz.
The similarities — the team will be closely watching lottery balls in mid-May, hoping to get a franchise-changing player in June’s NBA draft.
The difference — after winning 37 games and 31 games in his first two seasons in Utah, the Jazz are on pace to finish tied with the Washington Wizards for the league’s worst record.
“The reality of not being in contention sets in earlier, which is something that’s real and has to be addressed,” Hardy acknowledged. “But I do think if you meet those things head on, they can be worked through pretty quickly.”
The Jazz were in contention to compete for the Play-In Tournament at the trade deadline in each of Hardy’s first two seasons, but both years the team’s front office chose to pull the plug on the season in February in hopes of bettering their lottery odds.
This season, the Jazz opened their campaign with an 0-6 record and were out of playoff contention by November.
Despite the differences, Hardy said the team’s approach hasn’t changed dramatically, especially for the young players on the roster.
“They’re trying to establish themselves as NBA rotational players with us, but more than that, they want 29 other teams to also be interested in them,” the coach added.
Though the Jazz will finish with the worst record in franchise history, Hardy said they’ve responded well to the adversity.
“There is a moment when you are initially out of contention where it hits the team a little bit because they are humans, but I think that the guys have worked through that really quickly.”
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 7:30 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.
