The Utah Jazz came up short against the Portland Trail Blazers, with a final score of 114-124.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance tonight to watch 10-day contract players Bez Mbeng and Andersson Garcia promote pro-competitive play. Thankfully for the Commissioner, and the Jazz’s pocketbooks, none of Utah’s stars played tonight.
Advertisement
Tongue-in-cheek comments aside, Utah’s end-of-rotaion players played surprisingly well tonight. Facing off against Portland’s A-team, the Jazz stayed within striking distance largely off the back of fast-paced, high-effort play. Utah was led by Brice Sensabaugh, who ended the night with 31 points on 12-20 from the field. This marks three-straight games of 20+ points for the third-year guard. Cody Williams finished with a career-high 19 points, 14 of which came in the first half.
Mbeng and Garcia, both experiencing the first NBA minutes of their careers, were tremendous on defense. Both had two steals, were quick in rotations, and had active hands. But most of all, they showed great effort on that side of the ball, something Utah’s youth have struggled significantly at times. Isaiah Collier finished the night with 17 points and 9 assists, but on only 6-15 from the field.
The Trail Blazers were led by 25 points apiece from Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. Donovan Clingan dominated the paint, finishing with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Utah continues its roadtrip against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.