Kings 117, Jazz 115: Three Hard Takeaways

The Utah Jazz lost another photo finish to the Sacramento Kings.

On Tuesday night, De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 37 points, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 21 as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz, 117-115. Lauri Markkanen scored 28 points to lead the Jazz in a losing cause.

The Jazz lost another one in the final seconds. This time it was Fox with a shot at the rim with .4 seconds left to seal the deal. Markkanen countered with a made three-point shot at the buzzer, but upon further review, it was a fraction of a second too late, and the call on the floor was reversed.

What did we learn from Utah’s fifth straight defeat? Let’s break it down.

Will Hardy's Baffling Decision-Making

Hardy has a reputation for having a high basketball IQ, but lately, he’s been missing layups in regard to which players need to be on the court. With 17 seconds left, Markkanen was at the line with an opportunity to tie the game. 

It was easy to see that the Jazz would still need a stop on what potentially was the last possession of the game to force overtime. Hardy subbed in Jarred Vanderbilt for defense during Markkanen's free throws but chose to keep Utah’s best rebounder and rim protector — Walker Kessler — on the bench for the last possession. 

Predictably, Kings head coach Mike Brown didn’t call a timeout, and Fox proceeded to beat Markkanen off the dribble and get an uncontested look at the rim. Would Kessler being on the court have made a difference? 

We’ll never know, but the point is that these coaching snafus matter in one-possession games and have to be examined when a team has lost five straight by a total of 15 points.

Rudy Gay’s Days in the Rotation Might be Numbered

The most puzzling decision that Hardy continues to go with is keeping Gay in the rotation. Against the Kings, Gay went 0-for-5 from the field while providing nothing on the defensive end. 

Again, in games that are decided by one possession, keeping Gay in the rotation is costing the Jazz wins. It’s an easy fix, but for some reason, the Jazz are hell-bent on giving Gay minutes over rookie and younger players that need court time to develop. 

During Utah’s five-game skid, Gay has logged 70 minutes of court time, scoring 18 points on 33% from the field and 16% from long distance. 

Do the Jazz Tank From Here?

Despite losing five straight, the Jazz are still in striking distance for a playoff spot. That being said, with the trade deadline looming, it begs the question: does Utah trade a couple of its vets and go with the rookies the rest of the way? 

It would only take one trade to put the Jazz in position for a top-eight pick in a loaded 2023 draft. Expect the rumor mill to heat up as we get closer to the deadline. 

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