The Utah Jazz pull out a gritty win over New Orleans Pelicans
By Dan Lower
![Nov 27, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against New Nov 27, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against New](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4452,h_2504,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/123/01hga47shxw5hzbc68xy.jpg)
Monday night's game between the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans was their 2nd in 3 nights, and a chance to get only their 2nd winning streak of the season, after pulling out a 105-100 win on Saturday night.
The Jazz welcomed back Jordan Clarkson, who had sat out the prior game due to illness. They were still without Lauri Markkanen due to a strained left hamstring, while the Pelicans returned Zion Williamson, and were still without guard CJ McCollum.
This time, the game was back and forth, with good passing and not a lot of turnovers (10). Zion Williamson was as advertised, with 26 points, and Brandon Ingram provided 25 for the Pelicans. The Jazz did well in the first half, gave up a lot in the 3rd quarter, but pulled out a gritty 114-112 win in the end.
A few thoughts:
Rookie Keyonte George had a career high 19 points to lead the Jazz in scoring tonight, along with 5 boards and 2 steals. He led 7 Jazz players in double figures. Keyonte was much more assertive with his shooting tonight as compared to during the losing streak.
Walker Kessler and Omer Yurtseven again made a strong tandem at center for the Utah Jazz, combining for 21 points, 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots. While Kessler will likely reclaim his starting spot soon, it's been a nice approach that is giving opponents pause when going toward the rim.
Better defense and a fighting mentality for rebounds and loose balls made this a fun game to watch, and more rewarding when the Jazz got the win.
The Jazz, now 6-11 on the season, head out on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, then hop to Minnesota for a Thursday game, then are home against Portland on Saturday. They then have an 8-game layoff while the NBA's In-Season Tournament concludes, in which they will likely get Lauri Markkanen back and healthy. Let's hope this 2 game-win streak is a sign of things to come.
Time to hit the panic button for the Utah Jazz. The Utah Jazz are nowhere near the playoff race. It might be time to panic.. dark. Next