Jazz Drop First Of Two Game Series With Pelicans
Jan 17, 2025, 9:44 PM
Isaiah Collier #13 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz dropped the front end of their two-game series against the New Orleans Pelicans 136-123.
Keyonte George scored 26 points to lead the Jazz while Isaiah Collier recorded a career-high 11 assists.
Zion Williamson had 24 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists for the Pelicans.
Game Blog: Jazz Fall In New Orleans
Collier Helps Jazz Overcome Early Pelicans Blitz
Despite the 13-point difference at the final horn, Friday’s game in New Orleans could have been far uglier for the Jazz.
The Pelicans opened the game on a 29-8 run before extending their lead to a game-high 26 points early in the second quarter.
But after falling behind 56-26, the Jazz rattled off 11 straight points to nearly halve the Pelicans advantage and kept the game within relative striking distance the rest of the way.
Though George and Collin Sexton were the team’s top scorers in the backcourt, it was Isaiah Collier’s steadiness at point guard that helped ignite the quasi-comeback.
One thing to like about Isaiah Collier is how he doesn’t overcomplicate his game.
He’s got a speed advantage, so he beats his man, draws help, and passes the ball where the help came from.
He can do it with pocket passes in the paint, but also to anywhere on the perimeter.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 18, 2025
The rookie played the entire second quarter and helped the Jazz trim the Pelicans lead to as few as six in the closing minutes of the first half.
With Sexton back in the lineup, Collier was pushed back to a reserve role, but it didn’t slow his recent moment.
The USC product is averaging nine assists per game over his last six outings and has provided the Jazz with a consistent playmaking presence within the offense.
As a college freshman, Collier tried to force too many difficult passes where there weren’t plays to be made, a flaw he’s largely eliminated just 32 games into his NBA career.
He’s also, apparently, difficult to rattle.
With 10 minutes remaining in the game, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado tried to sneak up behind Collier in the backcourt to steal the ball. The Jazz rookie calmly handled the pressure, drew a foul on Alvarado, and a shoving match quickly ensued, earning the Pelicans guard a technical foul.
Props to Collier for remaining relatively calm, Alvarado gets the technical foul pic.twitter.com/QANrPMZeyc
— Richie Ostler (@RichieOstler3) January 18, 2025
While Collier didn’t back down, he also didn’t match Alvarado’s frustration and continued his strong play after the altercation.
“I love that Isaiah doesn’t back down, and I love he didn’t lose his head,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “He was firm in the moment, but he didn’t lose his mind, and he stayed focused on the task at hand.”
Collier added eight points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes in the loss.
Jazz Tied For Second Fewest Wins In NBA
With back-to-back losses, combined with a three-game winning streak by the Pelicans, and a two-game winning streak by the Charlotte Hornets, the Jazz’s 10 wins are tied for the second-fewest in the NBA this season.
After recording unexpected wins over the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic in early January, teamed with a win over the Brookyln Nets last Sunday, the Jazz found themselves with the fifth-worst record in the NBA.
But with consecutive losses to teams that were below them in the standings, the Jazz are once again entrenched in the thick of the lottery conversation.
The next 10 @UtahJazz games leading up to the trade deadline. How many games do they win?
@ Pelicans
@ Pelicans
@ Thunder
@ Grizzlies
vs. Bucks
@ Warriors
vs. Timberwolves
vs. Magic
vs. Pacers
vs. Warriors— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 17, 2025
One game shy of the halfway point of the season, the Jazz own the third-most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, and will likely have the toughest schedule in the league after Monday’s rematch with New Orleans.
As of Friday night, the Pelicans have the fourth-most difficult schedule left, but with Williamson’s return to the lineup, they’re likely to easily outpace the Jazz.
Of the teams competing with Jazz for lottery balls, the six-win Washington Wizards have the second-easiest remaining schedule, while the 10-win Toronto Raptors own the least difficult.
The Hornets, who are tied with the Jazz and the Raptors at 10 wins, have the seventh easiest schedule remaining.
If the lottery were held today, the Jazz, Raptors, and Wizards would each have a 52.1 percent chance of landing a top-four selection in the draft.
Assuming the Jazz don’t make any major upgrades at the trade deadline, they should be firmly in the mix for one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will stay in New Orleans and face the Pelicans on Monday at 6 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.
