The Utah Jazz beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday night in Utah. They quickly got on a flight and headed down to San Antonio, where they beat the Western Conference No. 2 Spurs on Saturday night, 127-114.
You have to wonder how the front office is handling this.
Walter Clayton Jr. said it in his walk-off interview on Saturday night in San Antonio.
“I think guys are just tired of losing.”
Mike Smith said it on the Utah Jazz post-game broadcast.
“This is the kind of win, or stretch, or two games, that could change a season. It creates belief, it creates hope.”
Uh oh.
It’s a tough needle to thread for the Jazz decision makers, who want to see development and growth and potential, but would also really like to have a top 8 pick in the 2026 draft.
Well, the Friday and Saturday wins for the Jazz against two of the best teams in the NBA did not help their chances at keeping their 2026 pick (it will go to the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder if it lands outside the top eight), but boy did it show some strength and growth.
Once again Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George did the lion’s share of the lifting — Markkanen finished with 29 points, five rebounds and three steals, while George had 28 points, six assists and five rebounds.
The duo is leading the league by a wide margin when it comes to two starters who finish games with 25-or-more points. Markkanen is making a strong case for a second All-Star selection and George will certainly be in the running for Most Improved Player at the end of the season.
But it was Clayton who shocked and awed against the Spurs on Saturday.
When Isaiah Collier took a hard bump to the shoulder and needed to get checked out by the Jazz’s medical team, Clayton subbed in and made an immediate impact, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the second quarter, helping the Jazz go on a run that gave them a 70-60 lead at half time.
“This is very clearly Walt’s best game as a pro,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “A lot of big shots, played with a ton of force, had some big defensive plays, showed some physicality on the ball defensively...It’s been a tricky start to the season for Walt because of his minutes and opportunity, but he stayed ready and...he picked his spots tonight to be aggressive.”
Clayton was a game-high plus-22 in overall plus-minus and finished with 17 points, five assists, two rebounds and zero turnovers.
And, he didn’t miss a single shot. That came after he struggled on Friday against the Pistons, playing just nine minutes and taking just one shot that he missed.
The Jazz continue to make a statement that they are capable of creating momentum and that behind their powerful leading duo there are a stable of young and hungry players chomping at the bit to break through.
“We’ve seen this a bunch of times this year where we’re in close games and our team is not afraid,” Hardy said. “They don’t look scattered, they’re very connected, and they’re stepping up and making a lot of big plays, so I’m so proud of our group, and I want our guys and our fans to enjoy this win.”
The players and the fans should certainly enjoy the win and the front office should start charting out the rest days for the remainder of the season.