Will Hardy Had Honest Statement After Jazz Loss vs. Spurs

The Utah Jazz couldn't get it done on Tuesday night.

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy and Ryan Smith (white Jazz hat at right) on the court against the New York Knicks during the second half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images / Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz couldn't overcome their NBA Cup woes on Tuesday night, as they fell to 0-3 in their stretch of tournament games vs. the San Antonio Spurs, losing 115-128 in their fourth and final regular season contest vs. San Antonio.

Overall, it was a narrow game that Utah had a chance in all the way into the fourth quarter, but an unsightly run by San Antonio allowed the Spurs to secure a double-digit victory to go 3-1 against the Jazz in their season series.

After the game, Jazz head coach Will Hardy sounded off on what he thought attributed to the loss.

"I really do think that, ultimately, tonight, we beat ourselves," Hardy said after Tuesday's game. "It's a three-point game going into the fourth quarter with some ugly play. That's where you want to be: close game, at home, going into the fourth. We gave up eight offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. In another night where we have 20-plus turnovers, it's just hard to win. The math is against you in those moments."

The Jazz had a few positives to take away even in the event of a loss, with guys like Keyonte George (26 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST), John Collins (20 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST), and even Brice Sensabaugh (16 PTS off the bench) emerging with a solid performance of their own.

However, to secure a win in this league, it's a collective effort needed through 48 minutes, and this time around, Utah couldn't finish things off accordingly.

"I think the key for our team continues to be focusing on the details, focusing on the little things, focusing on the task at hand-- what's next, and not the things that have happened before. I do think that the team is playing really hard. I think that the competitiveness is there, and that's a great foundation. But, we all have to stay focused on the task at hand."

The Jazz will have their next chance to rebound in a back-to-back against another Western Conference opponent with MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, with tip-off scheduled for 7 PM on Sunday. It remains to be seen if Lauri Markkanen will be involved in the action after suffering from a knee contusion vs. San Antonio.

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