Bucks 144, Jazz 116: Three Brutal Takeaways
Former Utah Jazz first-round pick Grayson Allen scored 25 points, while MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 24 as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated a depleted squad, 144-116.
The Jazz looked like a franchise running out of gas from the word go on Friday night. The Bucks jumped out to an 11-0 lead and never looked back. The thin air in Salt Lake City and Utah’s resistance on defense had zero impact on the visiting team as Milwaukee shot 55% from the field and 44% from long distance.
What did we learn? Let’s break down the highs and lows of the blowout loss at home.
Warm Welcome for Joe Ingles
Ingles got a standing ovation from the home crowd, along with a two-minute tribute video before the outset of the game. The former fan-favorite will be remembered for being a trash talker on the court, where he flourished as a three-point shooter while making a major impact in the community.
Ingles finished the game with six points while knocking down two of his five three-point attempts in his return to Salt Lake City.
Roster Turnover & Injuries Taking a Toll
Heading into Friday night, the Jazz were missing eight players, including three starters from their opening-day roster. Despite all the injuries and efforts of the front office to sabotage the season, the Jazz have put up a good fight.
That being said, being on the fringe of a playoff spot isn’t where teams want to be in today's NBA. The Jazz had too much talent on their roster to be a bottom dweller this year.
Can the Jazz still make a run at the playoffs? Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson would have to play through their injuries, and I don’t see Jazz CEO Danny Ainge letting that happen.
Simone Fontecchio Scores Career High
The brightest spot of the night was Fontecchio registering a career-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting. The rookie out of Italy has taken advantage of the minutes that have opened up with all of the roster reshuffling that’s been going on.
Prior to the All-Star break, Fontecchio was primarily just a three-point shooter, but since getting a spike in minutes, he’s developed as a player that can take his opponent off the dribble as well. Fontecchio has a real shot of being a permanent fixture in Utah’s rotation next year and beyond.
Next up, the Jazz hit the road to face the Sacramento Kings Saturday night with a tip-off time of 8:00 pm MDT.
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