It wasn’t the final score that mattered on Sunday — it was the final buzzer.
A simple and insignificant moment for anyone not among the Utah Jazz faithful, but a monumental moment for those who have suffered and waded through the last four years of trading away All-Stars, losing, collecting assets, tanking.
The final buzzer on Sunday, after a 131-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, marked the end of a dark stretch for the Jazz and the beginning of something theoretically brighter and more hopeful.
Things are about to change for everyone who considers themselves a part of the Utah Jazz family — the fans, the players, the coaches, the front office staff, ownership. Everyone. The final buzzer against the Lakers marked the return of expectations, higher standards and accountability.
It’s not like the last few years have been easy on anyone. Losing and tanking has come with challenges, but all of the pressure and challenges of a team that is expected to rise are going to be very different.
This is, it’s now put up or shut up time.
Front office leaders Austin Ainge and Justin Zanik will likely have another swing at a high lottery pick, they’ll have to navigate restricted free agency with Walker Kessler and then they will have an offseason wherein they’ll be expected to bolster a starting five that looks it has playoff potential.
All picks, asset management and decisions from this point forward will be scrutinized with a keener eye.
Will Hardy will no longer be shielded by the decisions above him. Building a culture and managing personalities have, and always will be, a necessary component of being an NBA head coach. But now, Hardy will be judged on wins, game management, late-game decisions, effectiveness of the offense and defense. Now, the Xs and Os will matter.
Hardy’s adage of not believing in “free minutes” will be put to the test in an environment where there won’t be free minutes available for every rookie, two-way player or 10-day contract player the Jazz front office can pile onto the roster.
Lauri Markkanen will need to prove that 2023 was not an anomaly, that he is capable of All-Star performances and that he can help take a team to the postseason.
Jaren Jackson Jr. will be expected to show that he still has Defensive Player of the Year potential and that his best years are within reach rather than behind him.
The bright spot in the Jazz’s 2025-26 season was the emergence of Keyonte George as an efficient and effective offensive threat who was reliable and on the rise. How does he fare when the criticism is greater?
Can he still rise to the occasion when teams aren’t allowing him to go off because they know they can beat the Jazz even when he drops 30? Can he play defense at a level that keeps him on the court in critical moments? He won’t be expected to just play well for a bad team. He’ll be expected to thrive.
There will be less grace and patience given to the Jazz’s role players and young players. They will be compared to their counterparts across the league. Depth and youth development that is on display over the next couple of months during the playoffs will be standard at which the Jazz will be measured.
For the last four years, the NBA world has been able to largely ignore the Utah Jazz — save when they are used as the poster child for the anti-tanking movement.
When training camp opens for the Jazz’s 2026-27 season, there will be more eyes and more pressure than the team has had since the teardown began.
What the fans deserve is a team that shows the dark days were worth it. The fans deserve for everyone to be held accountable for their performances from this moment forward. They deserve wins and joy and excitement. They deserve for postseason basketball to return to the Delta Center.
And for what they’ve suffered through, they have earned the right to criticize and hold high expectations. Jazz fans deserve what was promised — that this team was going to do everything possible to bring a title to Utah. They deserve to see moves made and performances that reflect that sentiment.
The final buzzer on Sunday night marked the start of a new era of Utah Jazz basketball. Ready or not, here it comes.