SALT LAKE CITY \u2013 The Utah Jazz dropped their 10th straight game, falling to the New Orleans Pelicans 156-137.<\/p>\n
The Jazz led New Orleans 69-61 at the half, but were outscored 50-27 in the third quarter, and 95-68 overall in the second half.<\/p>\n
Kennedy Chandler scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Jazz, while\u00a0Bez Mbeng also recorded a personal-best with 26 points on 12-18 shooting in 48 minutes on the floor.<\/p>\n
The Pelicans were led by rookie Jeremiah Fears, who scored 40. The Pelicans 156 points are the most in franchise history, and the most the Jazz have allowed this season.<\/p>\n
What once was a two-team race for the NBA\u2019s fourth- and fifth-worst records has quickly turned into a three-team battle for lottery positioning.<\/p>\n
The Brooklyn Nets\u2019 surprising win over the Milwaukee Bucks moved them to 20-59 on the season, just one victory behind the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings in the standings.<\/p>\n
If the Nets finish with the same record as the Jazz and Kings, the three teams\u2019 ping-pong ball combinations would be combined and split evenly ahead of the May 10 draft lottery.<\/p>\n
In that scenario, the NBA would also conduct a random drawing next week to determine draft order among the Nets, Jazz and Kings if none of the three teams moves up in the lottery.<\/p>\n
The Nets beat the Bucks, which pulls them within one win of the Jazz and the Kings in the standings.<\/p>\n
Nets close the season at home against the Pacers, then on the road in Milwaukee and Toronto.<\/p>\n
The Pacers game is on Thursday, before the Jazz play again.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n That situation keeps the door open for the Jazz to finish with the third-worst record in the league, which would prevent them from falling lower than the No. 7 pick in the draft.<\/p>\n If the Jazz finish with the fourth-worst record, they could not fall lower than the No. 8 pick.<\/p>\n Even with equal lottery odds among the three teams, finishing anywhere but last in the hypothetical drawing would guarantee the Jazz retain their lottery pick.<\/p>\n If the Jazz finish last in the tiebreaker with the Nets and Kings, they would have a 0.6 chance of sending their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n The Jazz return home Friday to host the Memphis Grizzlies before closing the regular season Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n The Kings opened a home-and-home series against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday and will wrap up their season Sunday in Portland against the Trail Blazers.<\/p>\n The Nets host the Indiana Pacers on Thursday before traveling to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Friday. Brooklyn closes its season Sunday on the road against the Toronto Raptors.<\/p>\n John Konchar records Jazz\u2019s fourth triple-double of the season<\/p>\n John Konchar recorded the Jazz\u2019s fourth triple-double of the season in New Orleans, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.<\/p>\n The wing, acquired in the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, has provided a steady presence off the bench as the Jazz close out the season.<\/p>\n John Konchar records the fourth triple-double of the Jazz\u2019s season, following Jusuf Nurkic who did it in three straight games in January.<\/p>\n Konchar has 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, his second career triple-double.<\/p>\n \u2014 Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) April 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cJohn\u2019s a really good all-around player,\u201d Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the game. \u201cHe does it in a lot of different ways. He\u2019s so unselfish with just how he approaches the game, does the dirty work, guards, cuts rebounds, [and] forces turnovers.\u201d<\/p>\n With Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey and Keyonte George on the roster next year, scoring is not expected to be an issue. Finding a player who can impact the game without needing shots, however, could prove critical.<\/p>\n The Jazz have several young players competing for roles in what projects to be a deep rotation next season, but Konchar\u2019s recent play could give him an advantage heading into the summer.<\/p>\n The performance marked the 30-year-old\u2019s second career triple-double. Jusuf Nurkic recorded three consecutive triple-doubles from Jan. 20-24.<\/p>\n The Jazz will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at 7:30 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