Blinksportsnews247Although a single play did not determine a result, the Jazz’s loss to the Golden State Warriors was greatly impacted by John Collins’ crazy pass in the closing moments of the game.
Six seconds remained and Collins grabbed an offensive rebound with the Jazz behind 138-137. However, in his attempt to kick the ball out to Keyonte George, he blasted it into the fourth row.
On the other side, the Warriors made two free throws and won 140–137.
John Collins’s tragic death dashes hopes for a return.
Collins had a terrific game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, but his high-octane pass put an end to the Jazz’s dreams of completely overturning the Warriors’ 19-point second-half lead.
The Warriors, who were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, ran out of gas in Salt Lake City and only managed to hold off the Jazz’s ferocious late surge.
Jazz coach Will Hardy stated, “[I’m] proud of the team for hanging in and battling, and the comeback that we made at the end.” “Obviously, it doesn’t feel good to come up short.”
In the final seconds, the Jazz had a chance to go ahead, but Lauri Markkanen missed a disputed corner three.
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Collins shot the ball hard and high above George’s head.
“I thought the ball was going to Collin [Sexton] at the top of the key when John got that offensive rebound and pivoted out,” Hardy remarked.
“I’ll get to spend the next five days thinking about whether there was a half-second there that I could have called timeout, but that’s not how it worked out.”
On the last play, Sexton had a chance to send the game into overtime, but he missed an open three at the buzzer.
The Jazz are now 2.5 games behind the Warriors for the tenth and final Play-In Tournament seed in the Western Conference after suffering their fourth straight defeat since the trade deadline.
The team is currently leaving for a much-needed vacation during the All-Star break.
Keyonte George Offers A Snip Of The Future
The opening three quarters of the game provided a preview of the Jazz’s future, even if it will be remembered for its thrilling conclusion.
In route to a career-high 33 points, Keyonte George drained nine threes, matching an NBA rookie record.
In terms of his ability to shoot three points off the dribble off the dribble, Hardy indicated that tonight was likely his “coming out party.”
George made a 9–16 connection from downtown and took advantage of the Warriors anytime they were unable to locate him around the perimeter.
“I believe that what we witnessed tonight aligns with what I have been observing, and what we have observed behind closed doors regarding his versatility in executing those shots,” Hardy continued.
The rookie finished the game with just one score and five missed field goals, but he did add three steals and six assists. It seemed like he was out of gas in the fourth quarter.
In any case, George has established himself as a key player on the Jazz squad and keeps demonstrating his ability to be a formidable opponent.
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