Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- The Utah Jazz lost 123-119 in overtime to the New Orleans Pelicans.
- Coach Will Hardy emphasized the growth opportunity for the young players.
- Isaiah Collier scored 20 points, showcasing potential despite the missed game-winning opportunity.
NEW ORLEANS — Isaiah Collier's arm got hooked.
The Jazz rookie point guard was making a drive in the final seconds of regulation, looking for the game-winner. It was a clear foul; the whistle, though, didn't come.
Collier would have gone to the line with a chance to win the game. Instead, the Jazz fell in overtime 123-119 to the New Orleans Pelicans Monday at the Smoothie King Center.
There are two ways to look at the loss, though.
For some Jazz fans, that missed call cost the team a win. For others, it was a godsend
The non-call may have some pretty big ramifications come May's draft lottery. The Jazz found a way to lose a game they led by 25 points and are two wins behind the Pelicans. Utah's 10-31 record is third-worse in the league behind only Washington (6-35) and Toronto (10-32).
Utah, once again, had a lengthy injury report for the second straight game against the Pelicans, highlighted by Lauri Markkanen's lingering back spasms and Collin Sexton needing a day off to "rest" after a two-day break in New Orleans. Hey, the Big Easy is pretty fun after all.
Even with the Jazz not putting up their best lineup, the team surged out to a 14-0 lead powered by the backcourt duo of Collier and Keyonte George. Utah controlled the opening half, getting contributions from just about all of its younger players,
Collier had 15 first-half points to go with six assists and George added 10 points and five assists. Walker Kessler added 11 points and seven rebounds, and Kyle Filipowski had 8 points and seven rebounds.
That all equaled a 20-point halftime lead.
A lead, though, that wouldn't last.
"Nights like tonight are good for our team," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "They're good for our players to grow and learn together. They're good for our staff to grow and learn together. We had a lot of guys out there at the end of the game who have not had a ton of experience in late-game situations in the NBA"
Despite Svi Mykhailiuk and Patty Mills stopping the bleeding with some big 3s after New Orleans took a lead early in the fourth, Hardy elected to stick with the young players to finish the game.
And there were some rough moments.
George overdribbled and Brice Sensabaugh had a bad passing turnover. The Jazz took some ill-advised shots and committed some bad fouls. A basketball masterclass it was not.
"Was the execution at the end of the game what we wanted? No, not every play was exactly what we wanted," Hardy said. "Were there some shots taken that we would like to have back? Of course, but that's the purpose of this is to help our team and our players grow and learn, both individually and collectively."
And for the second time in just over a week, Hardy gave the ball to Collier to decide the game. The rookie almost pulled it off again
"Isaiah is somebody that I have a lot of trust in, and that's because he's earned it," Hardy said. "His decision-making, on the whole, has been very good."
Collier finished with 20 points and 11 assists.
"Managing the end of the game is an area and an opportunity for growth, and that's going to come with more experience in those moments," Hardy said. "He and his teammates going through that together, he and I going through that together with our staff, but I do think that he's showing a lot of poise when he plays, and he's got a really good head on his shoulders."
It will help when CJ McCollum isn't catching fire on the other end of the court. McCollum scored 18 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter to push the Pelicans past the Jazz.
"This is not the end of the world," Hardy said. "There's no reason for anybody in our organization to hang their heads about what happened tonight. This is and will be a good thing for our young players."
And is and will be a good thing to acquire another young player, too.
