Game 51: Utah Jazz (24-26) vs Milwaukee Bucks (33-16)

[Inigo Montoya]

It's a tough game but the Bucks played yesterday so this could be a chance to steal a win.

[red4hf]

Jazz should lose, so obviously they will win.......

[FJS]

You never know, but our trend it's not good.

[FJS]

Middleton and brook López are out. Lillard and giannis gtd.

[SoCalJazzFan]

If it’s true that the Jazz are open to trading Sexton, I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking.

[Inigo Montoya]

1. The Bucks lead by 19 and then collapsed, made no adjustments and just looked helplessly as the Jazz closed the gap and opened a lead. Doc Rivers has only been coaching them for a few weeks and already he managed to put his mark on the team, truly the hallmark of a great coach. Good luck, Milwaukee.

2. Instead of falling behind by 17 in the first quarter like usual, this time the Jazz fell behind in the second quarter. This time they managed to come back and win but this is not a sustainable approach that is conducive to winning games, as we've seen.

3. Don't know why but I thought the game was on the road for the Jazz. Then I start watching and it's in SLC. Weird.

4. Kessler and George were excellent. Collins and Markkanen were pretty good, Olynyk made a difference as usual, and Sexton was also pretty good. Very enjoyable to watch but that "fight" with Beasley was lame. All he did was run up to him and hold him while talking.

5. I think Hardy may have found something with the George-Clarkson-Olynyk-Markkanen-Kessler lineup. I'm curious to see if the tries rolling with it again for a significant stretch in future games.

[Inigo Montoya]

If it’s true that the Jazz are open to trading Sexton, I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking.

Perhaps not to the same degree but maybe they're open to trading him like they're open to trading Markkanen, meaning they're not looking to trade him but if a really good offer comes along they'll listen.

Regardless, it's nice to see how things have changed. Most fans wanted to trade Sexton not that long ago.

[red4hf]

I go to sleep Jazz down by 10, I wake up they've won by 15..... What the hell happened? And it's not like the Bucks rested Lillard or Giannis.......

[ForeverRDjazz]

I go to sleep Jazz down by 10, I wake up they've won by 15..... What the hell happened? And it's not like the Bucks rested Lillard or Giannis.......

Best come back of the year and it was bench players and Lauri finished the game. Walker and Jordan and Keyonte were huge.

[FJS]

It was a weird game.

We began more or less well, then in the second quarter we fell badly (with more or less the same lineup that won 4th quarter).
Frankly, I don't like when Dunn-Sexton are paired the ball is in Sexton always. He is trying to force things lately. It's like he has to continue with his 20 points games streak and sometimes he takes poor decisions.
And with Olynyk playing, the ball has to be in his hands. If not, he is useless. Yesterday George was pretty good, so we're not going to say anything.
I think we won more by Bucks fail than by jazz strong play. Still good to see Hardy sticking with the unit that got the run.

[Crunch 99]

At the beginning of halftime, I thought to myself, "I am spending too much of my life watching the Jazz lose", so I turned off the game and missed the comeback.

[Inigo Montoya]

At the beginning of halftime, I thought to myself, "I am spending too much of my life watching the Jazz lose", so I turned off the game and missed the comeback.

The answer is always 'yes.'

[PaKii94]

It was a weird game.

We began more or less well, then in the second quarter we fell badly (with more or less the same lineup that won 4th quarter).
Frankly, I don't like when Dunn-Sexton are paired the ball is in Sexton always. He is trying to force things lately. It's like he has to continue with his 20 points games streak and sometimes he takes poor decisions.
And with Olynyk playing, the ball has to be in his hands. If not, he is useless. Yesterday George was pretty good, so we're not going to say anything.
I think we won more by Bucks fail than by jazz strong play. Still good to see Hardy sticking with the unit that got the run.

Sexton is a dead end. He provides efficient scoring but can't run a team. It's reminding me of Zach ravine with the failed bulls team. Lauri is being marginalized due to sexton in the starting lineup and then JC taking over off the bench.

[FranchisePlayer]

If it’s true that the Jazz are open to trading Sexton, I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking.

Perhaps not to the same degree but maybe they're open to trading him like they're open to trading Markkanen, meaning they're not looking to trade him but if a really good offer comes along they'll listen.

Regardless, it's nice to see how things have changed. Most fans wanted to trade Sexton not that long ago.

I, for one, still do. He's not a starter in a contender and if we aim to contend, he's not our starter. A perfect time to trade him while his value is high.

[FranchisePlayer]

It was a weird game.

We began more or less well, then in the second quarter we fell badly (with more or less the same lineup that won 4th quarter).
Frankly, I don't like when Dunn-Sexton are paired the ball is in Sexton always. He is trying to force things lately. It's like he has to continue with his 20 points games streak and sometimes he takes poor decisions.
And with Olynyk playing, the ball has to be in his hands. If not, he is useless. Yesterday George was pretty good, so we're not going to say anything.
I think we won more by Bucks fail than by jazz strong play. Still good to see Hardy sticking with the unit that got the run.

Sexton is a dead end. He provides efficient scoring but can't run a team. It's reminding me of Zach ravine with the failed bulls team. Lauri is being marginalized due to sexton in the starting lineup and then JC taking over off the bench.

You stole my line, bud. It's unreal how much he resembles Lavine.

Jazz needs a floor general and Sexton doesn't know how to be one. Although I give him that he's trying and has improved in that respect.

[SoCalJazzFan]

I'm not saying that Sexton should be the starting PG, but he has speed, athleticism and energy that few other, if any other, players on the team have. In some ways I would miss Clarkson, but I think that Sexton could be that 6th man off the bench.

[PaKii94]

I'm not saying that Sexton should be the starting PG, but he has speed, athleticism and energy that few other, if any other, players on the team have. In some ways I would miss Clarkson, but I think that Sexton could be that 6th man off the bench.

Efficient scoring is always needed for bailout shots. I think the team needs one of Sexton or JC. Both is too much of a good thing where it becomes a negative for others.

[PaKii94]

It was a weird game.

We began more or less well, then in the second quarter we fell badly (with more or less the same lineup that won 4th quarter).
Frankly, I don't like when Dunn-Sexton are paired the ball is in Sexton always. He is trying to force things lately. It's like he has to continue with his 20 points games streak and sometimes he takes poor decisions.
And with Olynyk playing, the ball has to be in his hands. If not, he is useless. Yesterday George was pretty good, so we're not going to say anything.
I think we won more by Bucks fail than by jazz strong play. Still good to see Hardy sticking with the unit that got the run.

Sexton is a dead end. He provides efficient scoring but can't run a team. It's reminding me of Zach ravine with the failed bulls team. Lauri is being marginalized due to sexton in the starting lineup and then JC taking over off the bench.

You stole my line, bud. It's unreal how much he resembles Lavine.

Jazz needs a floor general and Sexton doesn't know how to be one. Although I give him that he's trying and has improved in that respect.

It's uncanny. I can already hear the excuses for sexton. "At least sexton [Lavine] is being aggressive and providing efficient scoring. He's a hard worker and is trying to to distribute the ball! Why is Lauri being so passive and soft? Sexton [Lavine] needs more help!"

This type of scoring works against lesser teams but against any semi good team it always falters. Add the handicap of his size and he's a dead end player. He needs to be coming off the bench.

[Crunch 99]

Sexton is a dead end. He provides efficient scoring but can't run a team. It's reminding me of Zach ravine with the failed bulls team. Lauri is being marginalized due to sexton in the starting lineup and then JC taking over off the bench.

You stole my line, bud. It's unreal how much he resembles Lavine.

Jazz needs a floor general and Sexton doesn't know how to be one. Although I give him that he's trying and has improved in that respect.

It's uncanny. I can already hear the excuses for sexton. "At least sexton [Lavine] is being aggressive and providing efficient scoring. He's a hard worker and is trying to to distribute the ball! Why is Lauri being so passive and soft? Sexton [Lavine] needs more help!"

This type of scoring works against lesser teams but against any semi good team it always falters. Add the handicap of his size and he's a dead end player. He needs to be coming off the bench.

I am not convinced Sexton is a dead end. He just turned 25 and is gradually improving. As starter, he is averaging 21.5 ppg on 50.2/42.1/88.4 splits with 5.4 ast, 1.9 tov and 0.9 stl in 27.3 mpg. Though the Jazz win % has been falling the last ten games, they've gone 18-10 with Sexton starting. Sexton's ast/36min as starter are a career high 7.2 ast.

But I agree it is frustrating when Sexton and Clarkson take turns going one on one and sort of forget about the rest of the team. In particular, the Jazz need to figure out a way to get Markkanen more fga in Q4, where he's shooting lights out. Markannen is averaging 6.2 pts on 3.6 fga, 72.3 TS% in Q4 compared to Clarkon's 5.1 ppg on 4.4 fga, 53.2 TS% in Q4.

[FranchisePlayer]

I'm not saying that Sexton should be the starting PG, but he has speed, athleticism and energy that few other, if any other, players on the team have. In some ways I would miss Clarkson, but I think that Sexton could be that 6th man off the bench.

Yes but when you have a stud like Markkanen you want a PG who feeds him. Could Sexton evolve to be one? I don't see that. He hasn't in him to be the 1st option either.

I have a hard time seeing how he would settle for a bench role at this point, too. His value is high, why not sell. Heck, there might be teams that really do see him as a starter.