Jazz Fall to Wizards: Biggest Winners & Losers

The Utah Jazz fell in Washington on Saturday night.

The Utah Jazz were unable to claim victory in the nation's capital, falling 121-112 at the hands of the Washington Wizards. In the back-and-forth contest, the Jazz put themselves in a winning position but could not overcome the dominance of Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma, who scored 31 and 23 points, respectively. 

Porzingis also added 10 rebounds, while Kuzma added eight boards and six assists. The Jazz were led in scoring by Jordan Clarkson's 18 points, while Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton each scored 17 points, and Malik Beasley pitched in with 16 points. 

The Jazz also sported six double-digit scorers. The loss drops the Jazz to 10-4 and to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference standings.

Who were the biggest winners and losers coming out of Saturday night's game? Let's dive in. 

Winner: Power of the Three-Point Shot

The Wizards came into the game averaging nine three-point shot makes per game. Against the Jazz, Washington went 16-of-36 from behind the three-point line. 

Whenever a team nearly doubles its average in an offensive category, the opposition will be hard-pressed to overcome the momentum. The Jazz were unable to overcome the power of the three-ball, which aided the Wizards significantly.

Loser: Fastbreak Points for Jazz

The Jazz only scored four fastbreak points, which obviously seems strange when a team scores over 100 total points. The Wizards were focused on limiting fastbreak points prior to the game, and that apparent part of the game plan was successful.

Winner: Sexton & THT Bench Production

Collin Sexton scored 13 points in the third quarter while finishing with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists. He was instrumental in the attempted comeback while displaying his sheer speed and quickness.

Talen Horton-Tucker registered a double-double while scoring 12 points with 10 assists and grabbed three boards. 'THT' is earning additional playing time and has been a pleasant surprise for the Jazz. His current form should parlay into additional minutes in Utah's rotation.

Loser: All Jazz Starters

The NBA plus-minus rating system will typically provide an actual in-game player performance. In blow-out games, this system can be both over and underrated. 

But generally, in close games, this system seems more accurate. The Jazz's ratings against the Wizards looked like this: 

• Kelly Olynyk: -20
• Lauri Markkanen: -23 
• Jarred Vanderbilt: -12 
• Jordan Clarkson: -9 
• Mike Conley: -21

All of the Wizard starters had positive ratings, led by Porzingis' +24.

What it Means

The Jazz succumbed to the power of the three-point shot and did not provide much defensive rim protection. Offensively, the Jazz were not able to generate fastbreak points to a team that is not considered a defensive juggernaut. 

A silver lining for Jazz Nation? All of the starters recorded negative game scripts, but Utah barely lost. The Jazz won't have much time to ponder the loss as they are set to battle the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

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