Blog: Utah Jazz Fumble Away Game To Orlando Magic
Nov 2, 2023, 9:50 PM | Updated: 9:56 pm
Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of NBA game (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz stumbled to an ugly loss against the Orlando Magic 115-113.
Lauri Markkanen scored 22 points to lead the Jazz while John Collins added 20.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero scored 30 points to lead all scorers.
First Quarter
Lauri Markkanen continues to show a willingness to take tougher shots early in the season. He hit a very difficult three over Wendell Carter Jr. in the first quarter that he probably wouldn’t have taken last season.
I thought Jalen Suggs was going to be a star coming out of Gonzaga but his shooting has never improved. He hasn’t developed into the rich man’s Gary Harris I thought he might be.
It’s a block party in the Delta Center ✋💥#TakeNote https://t.co/KYx502AGtJ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 3, 2023
The Magic open the game shooting 2-11. That’s a similar trend to Memphis who couldn’t buy a bucket throughout the game last night.
The Jazz jumped from the 30th-ranked defense to 27th after last night’s win and could see a similar climb if Orlando continues to struggle.
Keyonte George is only shooting 32 percent from three, but I’d be surprised if he’s not a high-efficiency shooter sooner rather than later. He takes smart threes, has a quick release, and it always looks like it’s going in.
Special series from Keyonte George on both ends. Fights through then over a screen, grabs the rebound, pushes the ball forward, gets it back, runs a great pick and roll with Markkanen, and hits him with the lefty pocket pass for the easy finish.
Not a lot of 19-year-olds do that
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 3, 2023
The Kelly Olynyk for Bojan Bogdanovic trade has probably been a win-win, but I thought it was a bad value at the time.
Magic shot 10-12 from the free-throw line in the first quarter, otherwise, this game wouldn’t be close.
After one, the Jazz led the Magic 34-30.
Second Quarter
The Magic have gotten four and-one opportunities in the first 14 minutes of the game as they’ve abused the Jazz at the rim.
Walker Kessler has four first half blocks. That was the most surprising area of his struggles early in the season.
Kris Dunn looks a lot more like the guard we saw in preseason who I thought had a real shot at starting. Running the break, forcing turnovers, and making easy shots in the paint.
Who did it best? THT, JC, or KO? 🤔#TakeNotehttps://t.co/pEEqkwEycI
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 3, 2023
The Magic are dicing the Jazz defense apart with their passing. Considering how poorly they shot the ball in the first quarter, their unselfishness in the second quarter has been impressive.
Orlando uses an 18-3 run to take a 61-54 lead.
Markkanen takes a scary fall and Will Hardy picks up a technical foul for the no-call. Not sure there was actually a foul there, just a weird slip off balance near the hoop.
Jordan Clarkson and Kessler were a combined 3-15 in the first half, and Olynyk had four fouls in six minutes.
At the half, the Jazz trailed the Magic 66-58.
Third Quarter
The Jazz continue to let the Magic get close to the rim for easy looks. Kessler’s next step defensively might be cutting off drivers before they get to the bucket where he can block their shot.
After his fall in the second quarter, Markkanen is clearly favoring his right hip, and running gingerly up the floor.
Omer Yurtseven got his first true rotation minutes in the third quarter due to foul trouble from the Jazz frontcourt.
Clarkson has struggled to find any rhythm after a very good night against the Grizzlies. He’s got twice as many turnovers (4) as he does made field goals.
Markkanen and Yurtseven helped the Jazz close Orlando’s lead in the third quarter 🏀🔥#TakeNote https://t.co/VCDLfXtV2t
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 3, 2023
Yurtseven has given the Jazz some energy in the third catching a lob pass and then hitting a corner three. Hard to think that’s a reliable option for the rest of the game, but it’s a good way to kill the Orlando momentum.
Keyonte George might be too unselfish at times, but he rarely passes on his own shot for a worse shot for one of his teammates. Generally, he finds a better shooter for an open look.
The Jazz used a late 10-2 run to trim the deficit to one with two minutes left in the third.
Collin Sexton badly misses Markkanen with a mismatch on Cole Anthony, and even worse a wide-open Simone Fontecchio in the corner, leading to a blocked layup and free throws on the other end.
At the end of three the Jazz trail the Magic 90-86.
Fourth Quarter
Sexton and Clarkson have been far too prone to giving up backdoor layups to the Magic guards as they watch the ball at the point of attack.
Anthony Black has had the best game of his young career in Utah abusing the Jazz defensively leading to easy transition opportunities.
The Jazz were able to close the deficit to just five multiple times during the fourth quarter but struggled to get a stop on the following possession.
After a slow start to the year, Paolo Banchero cooked the Jazz repeatedly beating up on smaller defenders as he drove to the rim.
Markkanen connects on a late three to cut the Magic lead to two with 1:04 left to play, then hits another three with 19 seconds left to fuel an 8-0 run as the Jazz take a 113-112 lead.
Markkanen hits two clutch threes to give the Jazz a late lead 👀#TakeNotehttps://t.co/O3078ZbR59
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 3, 2023
Banchero answered with a tough left-handed layup to give the Magic a one point lead. The reigning Rookie of the Year had 10 straight points for Orlando.
Talen Horton-Tucker misses a potential game-winning three and the Magic secure the rebound to end the game.
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 or on Instagram @BensHoops.
