Utah Jazz guaranteed no worse than fifth-best lottery odds
Apr 5, 2026, 8:25 PM | Updated: Apr 6, 2026, 1:19 pm
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball while being defended by Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz dropped their ninth-straight game, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder 146-111.
Brice Sensabaugh scored a game-high 34 points to lead the Jazz on 11-19 shooting. Kyle Filipowski added 24 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the loss.
The Thunder put on an offensive clinic on Sunday, shooting 58 percent from the floor, the fourth-most efficient night by a Jazz opponent this season.
Brice: 34p | 4r | 5a | 6 3pm
Kyle: 20p | 14r | 6a | 1b
Svi: 17p | 4r | 1a | 1s
Ace: 14p | 4r | 2a | 1s | 2b#TakeNote presented by @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/PCT9xPnL79— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 6, 2026
“They made 10 more threes than we did,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “They shot it great at 53 percent, but the reason that that happened is we didn’t do a good enough job guarding the ball at the point of attack. Too many blow-by drives resulting in too many catch and shoot threes.”
Oklahoma City knocked down 24-45 from behind the three-point line, while the Jazz shot 14-39.
Seven different Thunder players knocked down multiple threes, while Sensabaugh had six makes to pace the Jazz.
Game Blog: Utah Jazz crushed by Thunder on the road
Utah Jazz clinch no worse than fifth-best lottery odds
With the final half of the season largely focused on keeping this year’s top-eight protected lottery pick, the Jazz have all but secured their preferred outcome.
At some point, these games, rotations, and final scores are going to feel like a fever dream for Jazz fans.
Not unlike these Thunder outings from 5 seasons ago. pic.twitter.com/pSOJPhkhPb
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 6, 2026
With three games remaining, and sitting four wins behind the Dallas Mavericks, the Jazz can no longer catch Dallas in the standings. That means the Jazz will finish with no better than the fifth-worst record in the NBA.
The outcome carries real significance for the front office, which will enter lottery night with at least a 99.4 percent chance of keeping its pick, positioning the franchise to add another high-level prospect to the roster.
Eyes now turn to Kings
Despite the overwhelmingly odds in their favor, a narrow path still exists for the Jazz to lose the pick to the Thunder.
But, in a somewhat unexpected development, that risk could be eliminated entirely, depending on how the Sacramento Kings finish their season.
After an unexpected win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Sacramento pulled even with Utah in the standings. The Kings entered the weekend having won four of their last 10 games.
Updated NBA Mock Drafthttps://t.co/u6zCHZUiJQ pic.twitter.com/pTZiLukzJw
— Tankathon.com (@tankathon) March 25, 2026
If Sacramento finishes with the better record over the final week, the Jazz’s odds of losing the pick would drop to zero. In that scenario, Utah could fall no lower than eighth in the lottery.
If the two teams finish with identical records, they would split their lottery odds evenly. A coin toss would then determine which team receives the fourth pick and which lands fifth, provided neither moves up in the lottery.
A Jazz win in the coin toss would guarantee they retain the selection. A loss would still leave them with a 99.7 percent chance of keeping the pick.
Sacramento will close the regular season with a home-and-home series against the Golden State Warriors, followed by a road game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Next Utah Jazz Broadcast
The Jazz will close out their road trip against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday 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.
