Utah Jazz Punish Hapless Los Angeles Clippers In Season Opener
Oct 22, 2025, 11:08 PM | Updated: 11:15 pm
Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz passes around Brook Lopez #11 of the Los Angeles Clippers (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz crushed an unprepared Los Angeles Clippers team 129-108 to open the 2025-26 season.
Walker Kessler led the Jazz with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and four blocks in 29 minutes, while both Lauri Markkanen and Brice Sensabaugh each added 20 points in the win.
Ivica Zubac led the Clippers with 19 points in 27 minutes.
Related: Jazz Practice Facility Moving To Shops At South Town
Continuity Paying Off For Young Jazz Roster
While the Jazz have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, the majority of players in the opening night rotation have played a lot of basketball together.
Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, and Taylor Hendricks are entering year three together, while Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen are beginning year four.
That familiarity was readily apparent against the Clippers, recording 38 assists, their most since January 2024.
“That’s a fun way to play,” Kessler said, “celebrate each other, and that kind of energy is contagious.”
that 7-footer connection 🛜 pic.twitter.com/F09vPASL0N
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 23, 2025
The Jazz’s massive frontcourt, featuring three seven-footers in Kessler, Markkanen, and second-year forward Kyle Filipowski, was particularly connected, combining for 14 assists and 51 points.
Nine different Jazz players recorded at least two assists, led by George’s nine as the team’s starting point guard.
“These younger players have played a bunch together, and that’s not just in the games, that’s practices and pickup games in the summer, some of them in summer league,” Jazz coach Will Hardy noted. “So definitely, having a group of players that have been together for a couple of years always helps.”
After several seasons of growing pains, the Jazz’s young core appears to be turning a corner.
Taylor Hendricks Comes Off Bench In Return
Taylor Hendricks made his return to the Jazz lineup, playing 19 minutes off the bench after missing 78 games last season with a broken leg.
Hendricks started the Jazz’s first three preseason games, but played with the second unit in the team’s final exhibition contest.
“He played some heavy minutes in some preseason games on purpose to try to spike his conditioning,” Hardy said of Hendricks. “But we’ve got a long road ahead this year.”
Several members of the @utahjazz staff are wearing these shirts for Taylor Hendricks in his regular season return.#TakeNote | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/5sn5QMqZdx
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 23, 2025
After a strong rookie campaign, followed by an MVP performance at the Vegas Summer League, Filipowski got the start for the Jazz at the four.
“Flip gives us another element of ball handling,” Hardy explained. “We’re going to play a little bit bigger, and you still have to have enough people on the floor that can handle the ball.”
Filipowski recorded nine points, four rebounds, and five assists in 25 minutes as a starter, while Hendricks finished with 13 points and five rebounds to help the Jazz coast to victory.
“It was a big confidence boost for us,” Filipowski said of the season opener. “It kind of just shows and reflects all the work we’ve been putting in the summer.”
What Did Clippers Say About John Collins?
While the Clippers loaded up on former All-Stars in the offseason, including Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul, their most impactful move could prove to be former Jazzman John Collins.
The Clippers acquired Collins in a three-team trade that also involved the Heat, with the Jazz receiving Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love from Miami.
Collins was arguably the Jazz’s best player last season in limited appearances and continued his strong play through the preseason.
once a jazzman 🖤#TakeNote | @jcollins20_ pic.twitter.com/4bPyIKKKp0
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 23, 2025
The Layton native averaged 12.0 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting a blistering 57 percent from the floor and 59 percent from three in four exhibition games, drawing the praise of Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.
“He’s been really good for us,” Lue said. “Athleticism, running the floor, being able to post smaller guys, a lob threat — and just the pace he plays at. We need that.”
Collins’ time with the Jazz didn’t materialize as fully as the front office may have hoped, with the veteran forward struggling to adapt during his first season, only to find his rhythm once the team fully committed to tanking.
The 28-year-old recorded 14 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes in his Clippers regular-season debut.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 8 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.
