SALT LAKE CITY \u2013\u00a0The Utah Jazz dropped their first game of 2026, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 118-101.<\/p>\n
The Jazz trailed 16-0 to start the game, but battled back to take a four-point lead midway through the third quarter.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Kawhi Leonard\u2019s game-high 45 points sunk the Jazz, who were led in scoring by veteran guard Kyle Anderson\u2019s 22-point night.<\/p>\n
With Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Jusuf Nurkic, and Walker Kessler all out on Thursday, second-year wing Cody Williams stepped into extended minutes.<\/p>\n
The former lottery pick played 26 minutes off the bench and delivered a career-high 18 points on 6\u201310 shooting, including 2\u20135 from three.<\/p>\n
It marked only his second double-digit scoring game this season and the sixth of his career.<\/p>\n
Williams made an impact early, opening the Jazz\u2019s scoring with a wide-open dunk and then repeatedly attacking the paint, using his length to finish around the rim.<\/p>\n
Cody to the rack with \ud835\ude22\ud835\ude36\ud835\ude35\ud835\ude29\ud835\ude30\ud835\ude33\ud835\ude2a\ud835\ude35\ud835\ude3a \ud83d\ude2e\u200d\ud83d\udca8<\/p>\n
(that\u2019s an 18-4 run for us btw \ud83d\udc40) pic.twitter.com\/RQ3gEMR7Df<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Though his slender frame has never allowed him to bully defenders\u2014dating back to his freshman year at Colorado\u2014his slippery athleticism often surprises opponents and creates unlikely driving lanes.<\/p>\n In the NBA, however, he has attacked off the dribble less often, preferring to swing the ball to shooters or test his still-unreliable three-point shot.<\/p>\n On defense, his positioning remains strong, and his added strength helps him hold his ground, but he continues to struggle on the glass and doesn\u2019t yet force many turnovers.<\/p>\n After the game, Williams said he has been studying another longtime NBA player with a similar build who made an impact without relying on physical dominance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve watched a lot of film on cuts and slashes, I watched Corey Brewer highlights, how he runs the floor, and how he slashes,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n Like Brewer, Williams likely needs to carve out his role as a 3-and-D wing\u2014someone who takes tough defensive assignments, hits open shots, and attacks closeouts.<\/p>\n Cody got his claw all over that \ud83d\ude31 pic.twitter.com\/XY8rYERzk4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Brewer extended those skills, despite his famously skinny frame, into a successful 12-year career.<\/p>\n Against the Clippers, Williams showed flashes of that blueprint, hitting two threes, guarding multiple positions, and driving past defenders who closed out on his jumper.<\/p>\n He hasn\u2019t yet shown he can play that way consistently, but his performance to start the New Year was a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n Where the Jazz Stand in the NBA<\/p>\n After losing to the Clippers, the Jazz fell to 12\u201321, tying LA for the league\u2019s eighth-worst record.<\/p>\n They sit 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the West\u2019s final play-in spot and only one game ahead of the Mavericks, Hornets, and Nets, who share the NBA\u2019s fifth-worst record.<\/p>\n Fans continue to track the standings closely because the Jazz owe a top-8 protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the pick lands 9\u201330, it conveys to OKC.<\/p>\n NBA STANDINGS UPDATE \u203c\ufe0f<\/p>\n \u25aa\ufe0f HOU (#4 in West) wins 4th straight Download the NBA App for more: https:\/\/t.co\/pBKIAWOrdI<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/iLsl6MND3z<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n With Thursday\u2019s loss, the Jazz and Clippers would need a coin toss to determine who holds the eighth- and ninth-best lottery odds, though they would split their lottery combinations evenly.<\/p>\n If Dallas, Charlotte, and Brooklyn all pass Utah, the Jazz would hold nearly a 42 percent chance of jumping into the top four\u2014and less than a one percent chance of falling to ninth and conveying their pick.<\/p>\n With 49 games remaining, the Jazz still have plenty of time to shape their position ahead of lottery night.<\/p>\n The Jazz will travel to face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 8 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on\u00a097.5 The KSL Sports Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u25aa\ufe0f MIA (#7 in East) wins 4th straight
\u25aa\ufe0f BOS (#3 in East) wins 2nd straight
\u25aa\ufe0f LAC wins 6th straight
\u25aa\ufe0f PHI rises to #5 in East<\/p>\n