Tag: Utah Jazz

DeMar DeRozan discusses necessary Bulls mindset after win over Jazz

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Utah Jazz, DeMar DeRozan discussed the importance of having the right mindset.

Few things have come easy for the Chicago Bulls this season. From an early-season slump to season-ending injuries to Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams, the Bulls have been put through the wringer. Despite all that, they still have a chance to make the playoffs this year by way of the Play-In Tournament.

With that in mind, they need to be putting forth their maximum effort on a nightly basis just for a chance at a chance to make the playoffs. At this point in the season, every single win is important. And on Wednesday night, the Bulls eeked out a win over the Utah Jazz by a score of 119-117.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the importance of having the right mindset will be for Chicago down the stretch of the season.

“We just got to stay the course, do what we need to do, pull out the victory and carry on,” DeRozan said via ESPN. “Every single game is going to be tough.”

This may have not been the best season for the Bulls, but they’ll never stop fighting.

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Shams: Former Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to sign with Utah Jazz G League squad

Reunited with his former team president in Boston with Danny Ainge now calling the shots in Utah, this could be Thomas’ last, best chance to get back into the NBA.

Former Boston Celtics floor general Isaiah Thomas is not back in the NBA, but the former King in the Fourth is as close as one can get without actually being in the league. According to recent reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the former Celtics point guard, in “pursuit of NBA return for stretch run, 11-year veteran Isaiah Thomas is joining the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars.”

“The two-time All-Star could be another guard option in (the) marketplace” for teams looking for cheap veteran talent ahead of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, notes Charania of IT’s potential path back into the Association.

Reunited with his former team president in Boston with Danny Ainge now calling the shots in Utah, this could be Thomas’ last, best chance to get back into the NBA for the first time since 2022.

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Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks to miss at least 1 week with injury

Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks will miss at least one week after suffering a ligament sprain in his left big toe.

Utah Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks will miss at least one week after suffering a ligament sprain in his left big toe, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Hendricks sustained the injury in the second quarter on Monday in a 127-115 win over the Washington Wizards. He was eventually ruled out of returning to the contest after recording eight points and two rebounds in 14 minutes of action.

The ninth pick will be reevaluated in one week after an MRI revealed the severity of the injury. He will likely miss at least the next three games while undergoing treatment.

Hendricks has spent much of the season in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars. He returned to the Jazz at the beginning of February and is averaging seven points and 6.2 rebounds on 48.3% shooting from the field in 10 games over that span.

Jazz coach Will Hardy said last month that Hendricks would likely remain in the rotation over the duration of the season after the team made several moves at the trade deadline.

He believes Hendricks is settling in more with the team of late.

“I think I’ve seen Taylor improve physically over the course of this year, which has been a big emphasis for him,” Hardy said recently. “I think his approach has really grown. He has never lacked the want to. I think it is kind of just understanding how to go about it every day. That has been a big positive sign for me as a coach: He is learning how to go about his business every day.”

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NBA Rookie of the Month: Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller win for February

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller for the second straight time were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller for the second straight time have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month for February, respectively.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie to win in consecutive months since Tim Duncan in March and April 1998. Wembanyama averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.9 blocks and two steals in 12 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals in the month.

Miller averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 13 games. He became the sixth player in franchise history to win the award multiple times, and he was the first rookie this season to have back-to-back 30-point games in the month.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson were also nominated for the award in the West. Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson were nominated in the East.

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama remains No. 1 post-All-Star break

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The NBA enters the last two months of the regular-season schedule with teams positioning themselves for the playoffs entering .

The rookie class continues to impress nightly with players contributing at a high level on playoff contenders and other teams in the hunt. The group has been one of the most memorable in recent memory, headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

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They have established themselves as the top rookies and are the front-runners for Rookie of the Year as a result. The two 7-footers have dazzled seemingly every time they step onto the court and have had some strong performances.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks pulled up to watch UCF host Cincinnati

Former UCF forward Taylor Hendricks returned to campus on Saturday to watch the Knights host the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Former UCF forward Taylor Hendricks returned to campus on Saturday to watch the Knights host the Cincinnati Bearcats at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.

Hendricks played last season with the Knights, averaging 15.1 points, 7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 assists on 39.4% shooting from 3-point range. He was named to the All-AAC second team and was one of three players in the country with at least 60 3-pointers and 55 blocks.

He wasn’t treated to a win by the home team, though. Cincinnati won 76-74. The Knights trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, but tied it up in the final two minutes of play. They weren’t able to jump ahead and dropped to 13-11.

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Hendricks is averaging 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17 games with the Utah Jazz. He has spent the majority of the season in the G League, averaging 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists in 22 appearances with the Salt Lake City Stars.

The ninth pick was highly touted as a player who can affect games on both ends of the court. The organization was impressed with his size, at 6 feet, 9 inches, and his ability to shoot and defend at a high level with his 7-foot wingspan.

After making several moves at the trade deadline, the Jazz will integrate Hendricks more into the rotation over the remainder of the season. They will watch him and monitor how he handles himself on and off the court and if he is ready to contribute nightly in the NBA.

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NBA Rising Stars 2024: Bennedict Mathurin unanimously named MVP to lead Team Jalen to title

Pacers sophomore Bennedict Mathurin was unanimously named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Jalen to the championship.

Indiana Pacers sophomore Bennedict Mathurin on Friday was unanimously named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Jalen to the championship in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mathurin produced 18 points in the opening game as Team Jalen defeated Team Tamika. He had four points, two assists and one steal in a 26-13 win in the final over Team Detlef, which consisted of seven of the top players in the G League.

While Mathurin did the bulk of the scoring in the semifinal round, Dereck Lively II had six points and Jordan Hawkins and Jalen Williams each chipped in five points in the final. Williams drained the game-winning 3-pointer to end it for Team Jalen.

The event featured four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games were played to a target score of 40, and the championship game was played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consisted of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches and the players from the G League were selected by the league office.

The four teams were coached by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who led the G League team.

Here is how the teams performed in the event.

Lakers player grades: L.A. puts the Jazz away in the second half

Without LeBron James, the Lakers had their way with the Jazz and got their sixth win in their last seven games.

The Los Angeles Lakers took the floor in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz looking to solidify their recent momentum heading into the All-Star break with another win. They had won five of their previous six games and 10 of their last 15. Their offense had been producing at an elite level during that stretch.

LeBron James sat out the contest, leaving one to wonder if the team would struggle without him.

The Lakers jumped to a 10-point lead in the first quarter and stretched it to 14 with 9:04 left in the second quarter. But they allowed Utah to claw back into the game by having trouble defending the paint and corralling defensive rebounds. Their lead shrunk to one, 70-69, at halftime. While they shot 56.5% from the field in the first two quarters, Utah outrebounded them 23-14.

Los Angeles reasserted itself late in the third quarter with 12 unanswered points to take a 108-92 lead going into the final frame. It increased its lead from there and ended with an impressive 138-122 victory to improve to 30-26.

The Purple and Gold shot an outstanding 57.3% overall and 46.2% from 3-point range on the night. Even better, they committed a grand total of eight turnovers. They also had a sizable advantage at the free-throw line and held the Jazz to 13-of-39 shooting from downtown.

The Lakers are off until Feb. 22 when they visit the Golden State Warriors.

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama maintains No. 1 spot after historic performance

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The regular season is past the trade deadline and approaching NBA All-Star Weekend, with the top players in the game set to compete in various events in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The crop of rookies continues to perform well this season, resulting in some remarkable performances of late. Led by Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and others, they have captured national attention and have been fascinating at times.

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The class will be represented in the Rising Stars game, as 11 first-year players will participate in the revamped exhibition. Including 10 sophomores, and seven players from the G League, the game will feature the top up-and-coming players.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Lakers vs. Jazz: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Wednesday

Here’s all you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s Lakers versus Jazz game.

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Lakers (29-26) claimed their fifth victory in their last six games by defeating the Detroit Pistons, 125-111, on Tuesday. They did so with relative ease; they led by as many as 24 points before coasting to the win. Three players scored at least 20 points for L.A., and it held the Pistons to 41.7% overall field-goal shooting and 28.6% from 3-point range.

Utah was surging about a month ago, but has since regressed. The team has lost eight of its last 12 games and has fallen to a 26-28 mark, which puts it in 11th place in the Western Conference. While it has averaged 122.1 points in its last 14 games, it is last in defensive rating during that span.

These two teams are tied at 1 in their season series. The Lakers won the first matchup 131-99 on Nov. 21, while the Jazz answered with a 132-125 decision on Jan. 13.