KJ Martin Shows Off His Hops With Three Straight Alley-Oop Dunks
Feb 28, 2025, 9:39 PM
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives the ball toward the basket while guarded by Utah Jazz forward KJ Martin (99) during an NBA basketball game held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Both the Utah Jazz and Delta Center were buzzing in the second half with much of the credit owed to the high-flying KJ Martin.
Martin scored 10 points in the second half. It felt like every single bucket was a highlight.
DID YOU JUST SEE THAT⁉️⁉️ pic.twitter.com/ddTElEl2BL
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 1, 2025
At the half, the Jazz trailed by double-digits and appeared to be outmatched by a heavily injured Timberwolves team.
Instead of bowing their heads, the entire team brought the energy after half and made the comeback. Utah outscored Minnesota by 12 in the third quarter and kept that momentum rolling into the fourth.
Plus, having a human highlight reel always helps for momentum purposes.
or KJ dunk option 2: https://t.co/e6sFdOV7GJ pic.twitter.com/9AJr3EoluC
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 1, 2025
With less than four minutes left in regulation, Utah found themselves with a seven-point lead.
With the shots falling and the home crowd invested, the Jazz can be a hard team to beat.
I think Jazz fans are going to like KJ Martin.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) March 1, 2025
About KJ Martin
At the 2025 trade deadline, the Jazz redirected Dennis Schroder to Detroit in exchange for KJ Martin, Josh Richardson, and a 2028 second-round draft pick.
Martin, 24, is in his fifth season in the NBA after beginning his career with the Houston Rockets in 2020.
The son of former number-one overall pick Kenyon Martin, KJ earned a spot in the Rockets rotation averaging 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 45 appearances as a rookie.
In his third season, Martin averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 59 starts, before Houston traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023.
3 minutes of nasty @kj__martin dunks and blocks pic.twitter.com/h9Svm1c26B
— David Astramskas (@redapples) January 6, 2024
Shortly after arriving in LA, KJ Martin was traded to Philadelphia in the James Harden blockbuster and signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the 76ers last summer. The wing’s $8 million salary for next season is non-guaranteed.
His superior athleticism has allowed him to carve out a role in the NBA as a slasher, transition scorer, and rebounder.
Jazz Look To Get Back In Win Column Against Shorthanded Timberwolves
The injury report is extensive for both teams as the Utah Jazz host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Delta Center on Friday.
For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle are all out. For the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson will be sidelined for injury maintenance.
This game is the second of four in the 2024-2025 season series. The first game was on January 30 where Minnesota handed Utah a 138-113 loss in SLC.
Jazz Gameday Reading
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Follow the Jazz with KSL Sports
Tonight’s game against the Timberwolves is being televised on KJZZ, streamed on SEG+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Find sports.ksl.com coverage of the Jazz here.
