Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (wearing white), Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (wearing black).
Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2), Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow (26) fight for the rebound during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Sarah Todd
By Sarah Todd
Sarah Todd covers the NBA and Utah Jazz for the Deseret News.

The Utah Jazz lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 116-111, on Saturday night, falling to 14-12 on the season.

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Here are three keys that contributed to the Jazz’s loss:

  • Anfernee Simons put up a career-high 45 points on the Jazz with 33 points coming in the first half alone. Speaking of 33, that’s how many points Jerami Grant finished with on Saturday night. With Damian Lillard, Josh Hart and a few others from the Blazers roster sidelined because of injury or illness, Simons and Grant stepped up to the plate and gave the Jazz a tough time all night.
  • The Jazz had quite a few chances in the final moments of the game to either take the lead or ice the game, but some miscues cost them important possessions. On one the ball popped into the backcourt out of Lauri Markkanen’s hands, on another Markkanen lost the ball out of bounds on a drive and on another right at the end, Jordan Clarkson had the ball stripped while going up for a shot and he inadvertently kicked the ball.
  • On the second night of a back-to-back, the Jazz trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, making the rest of the game an uphill battle, and although they were able to get right back in it as far as the score goes, it seemed that they lacked the precision at the end to close things out.
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Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley (5) tries to shoot as Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2) pushes the ball away during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) pushes the ball away from Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles around Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) reacts as the Utah Jazz lose an NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) loses possession of the ball between Portland Trail Blazers forwards Justise Winslow (26) and Jerami Grant (9) during the final minutes of an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2), Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow (26) fight for the rebound during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) tells a referee that he didn’t touch the ball during the final minutes of an NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy yells as the Utah Jazz play the Portland Trail Blazers in an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Injured Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (11) watches from the bench as the Utah Jazz play the Portland Trail Blazers in an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt (8) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio (16) moves around Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) shoots in front of Portland Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow (26) and Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) moves around Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley (5) dribbles around Portland Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow (26) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) tries to pass the ball around Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Portland Trail Blazers guards Anfernee Simons (1) and Shaedon Sharpe (17) and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) reach for the rebound during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) moves around Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24), Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (34) and Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) reach for the rebound during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton (2) falls in front of Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) tries to shoot as Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2) guards him during an NBA game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) shoots during an NBA game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. The Jazz lost 116-111. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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