Utah Jazz Reveal Starting Lineup in Win Over New Zealand Breakers

The Utah Jazz are back in town.

Mar 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches his team from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz defeated the New Zealand Breakers 116-87 in their first preseason game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Utah was sluggish out of the gates, but when the rubber met the road, there was too much talent from the Lauri Markkanen-led Jazz to keep up with.

After one-quarter of play, the Jazz and Breakers were all tied up at 29-29, thanks to the three-point play. The Breakers knocked down five shots from long distance, and it looked like it could be a game. 

However, Utah outscored the pesky Breakers 34-18 in the second quarter and never looked back. Johnny Juzang led the Jazz with 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. Markkanen chipped in 13 points and sat out the second half of the game.

Jazz head coach Will Hardy kicked off the year with a starting lineup of Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Taylor Hendricks, Walker Kessler, and Markkanen. Second-year Jazzman John Collins played in 66 games last season as a starter, but it appears he’ll be starting the year as a reserve.

The Jazz will play five more preseason contests before their home opener versus the Memphis Grizzlies on October 23. Next will be a game with the Houston Rockets at the Delta Center on October 7th

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