Jazz Fall to 76ers, 105-98: 3 Winners, 2 Losers

The Utah Jazz finished this road trip 1-2.

MVP candidate Joel Embid scored 59 points while going 19-for-28 from the field as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Utah Jazz 105-98. Utah had a shot at stealing one on the road with the score tied 96-96 with 4:27 to play, but when it was all said and done, Embiid’s performance was too much to overcome.

Some Jazz players kept the game competitive, while others struggled from start to finish. Let’s break down the biggest winners and losers from Utah's fifth loss of the season. 

Loser: Mike Conley

Utah’s veteran starting point guard has really struggled the last two games. On Friday, Conley scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting against the Washington Wizards and then followed that up with another three-point performance on 1-for-7 shooting in Philly. 

Conley has been a key contributor in Utah’s early season surge, but he’ll want to put this week's performance in the rearview mirror. He logged 93 minutes on Utah’s three-game road trip, and how head coach Will Hardy manages Conley's minutes is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Winner: Malik Beasley

If anyone should have an excuse for having heavy legs against the 76ers, it would be Beasley. The veteran shooting guard left his team after the Atlanta game on Wednesday to witness the birth of his second child and was able to make it in time for the back-to-back this weekend. 

Beasley’s play on the court didn't miss a beat as he knocked down eight three-pointers over two games and led the Jazz in scoring on Sunday. If there were an employee of the month award, Beasley would get my vote.

Loser: Kelly Olynyk

Olynyk is another player that has exceeded expectations early, but hasn't contributed much as of late. Utah’s starting center was -36 in the +/- column over the last two games. 

That’s not a good look when both contests were relatively close. It's a small sample size, but with the emergence of Walker Kessler, it will be interesting to see how Hardy juggles their minutes.

Winner: Walker Kessler

Lauri Markkanen might be the biggest story concerning the 2022-23 Jazz, but the play of Kessler is a close second. In only 12 minutes of action, the rookie had nine rebounds paired with three blocks. 

Starting Kessler at center and moving Olynyk to power forward could be the starting five moving forward if the rookie continues to fill up the stat sheet.

Winner: Upcoming Schedule

Utah finished the road trip 1-2, but if we’re being honest, that's what you would expect traveling two time zones paired with a back-to-back. Utah has had a brutal schedule out of the gates playing 10 out of 15 games on the road against tough opponents. 

Let's see if the Jazz can make some hay with their next 11 out of 16 games at home where they are 5-0 this year. 

Next up is the New York Knicks Tuesday at 7:00 pm MDT in Salt Lake City.

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