NBA Scores: Call the Utah Jazz a fluke at your own peril

Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images Plus: Star duos in Memphis, Boston show out and misery in Minnesota. The Utah Jazz are good. Very good. Expectation-shattering good. Mind-bogglingly good. So good that if you’re one of the four people who actually believed this team would be good at the start of the season, you probably also just won the $2 billion Powerball jackpot. You’re that rare; you also might be a genius. Their start is glorious. It almost certainly can’t last, given that CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge did earn his “Trader Danny” moniker for a reason and is hardly afraid to wield it if the proper stash of draft capital and youth presents itself. But, I implore you to bask in it for as long as we can. So far this season, the Jazz have beaten the Nuggets, Pelicans, Grizzlies (twice), Timberwolves, and last night, the Atlanta Hawks. Those are all teams we assumed would be contenders, teams that would mark their matchups with the Jazz on their calendars as “free wins”. No longer is that the case. Waltzing into Utah without a plan of attack to stop Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, etc. is a death sentence. Will Hardy, a first-year head coach, knows how to exploit you. So far, he’s done it to the best of the best in the NBA. The Jazz aren’t a fluke (one of the most common fish in the sea, if you hadn’t heard). They play together, they play hard, and they play to win — something you must hate if you’re Ainge, despite your persistence in gritting your teeth and telling the masses that you expected to win, not tank. The Victor Wembenyama sweepstakes fades further out of focus the longer the Jazz keep winning, yet they can’t seem to stop. Utah outlasts Atlanta, 125-119, becomes first team to double-digit wins Lauri Markkanen (32 points, eight rebounds) is an All-Star. Dejounte Murray (26-6-5) probably should be too. Kings hand Cavs second straight loss in huge home win, 127-120 This was arguably the game of the night, and Trey Lyles and Malik Monk made its most pivotal plays down the stretch. Their solo mini-runs swung momentum in favor of the Kings late as they fought off a Cavs comeback. Despite the loss, Donovan Mitchell has continued to show out in his new home. He scored 38 points on a blistering 16-for-28 shooting; he’s been the best player in the league this season not named Giannis. Durant has yet another big night as Nets crush Knicks, 112-85 The K*rie-less Nets are watchable! I guess it helps that they have one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history dropping casual 29-12-12 lines on the reg. Durant has still yet to drop fewer than 25 points in a game this season, and he carried the Nets past an increasingly-abominable Knicks squad that is one game closer to firing Tom Thibodeau. Mark my words. VanVleet goes for 32 as Raptors soar past Rockets, 116-109 Giannis-less Bucks outlast Thunder in double-overtime thriller, 136-132 The continued absence of Khris Middleton was sure to impact the Bucks this season, just as it did in last year’s postseason. But having the best player in the world would help keep any team afloat. But what happens when he sits? Well, Jrue Holiday will take care of things. Well, what happens when he sits?! Surely, it’s a wrap for Milwaukee in that event. Nah. They’ll just call on Jevon Carter to have a career night, as he did on Wednesday to the tune of 34 points and 12 assists as the Bucks survived Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 39-point effort in two extra periods. The Bucks are now 10-1 and steamrolling whoever they meet, no matter who they’re missing. At the moment, they’re the undisputed title favorites. Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images Ja Morant, Desmond Bane drop 32 apiece in OT win over Spurs, 124-122 How soon is too soon for the Grizzlies’ star duo to be considered top five in the league? When Morant and Bane share the court, their average point differential is a whopping plus-21.5, which places them in the league’s 95th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. And in Wednesday’s win over the Spurs, they were electric yet again, scoring a combined 64 points, which proved to be enough to stave off a late rally from the upstart Spurs. Pelicans skirt by Bulls in Chicago, 115-111 Celtics stars shine in big win over Pistons, 128-112 Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (30) paced Boston, but Sam Hauser’s blistering 24-point outing is the reason the Pistons never got close. (Well, that and the fact that Cade Cunningham was one-for-11 from the field.) The Celtics have won four in a row. Banchero-less Magic stun Luka and the Mavs, 94-87 Luka Doncic went cold down the stretch. I missed the break when someone put a lid on his basket in the final frame, but it seemed like everything he put up in the fourth clanged right back off and led to an Orlando bucket. The Magic, despite not having star rookie Paolo Banchero, took care of business behind 22 points from Franz Wagner. Lillard carries Blazers past

NBA Scores: Call the Utah Jazz a fluke at your own peril
Utah Jazz v Atlanta Hawks
Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

Plus: Star duos in Memphis, Boston show out and misery in Minnesota.

The Utah Jazz are good. Very good. Expectation-shattering good. Mind-bogglingly good. So good that if you’re one of the four people who actually believed this team would be good at the start of the season, you probably also just won the $2 billion Powerball jackpot. You’re that rare; you also might be a genius.

Their start is glorious. It almost certainly can’t last, given that CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge did earn his “Trader Danny” moniker for a reason and is hardly afraid to wield it if the proper stash of draft capital and youth presents itself. But, I implore you to bask in it for as long as we can. So far this season, the Jazz have beaten the Nuggets, Pelicans, Grizzlies (twice), Timberwolves, and last night, the Atlanta Hawks. Those are all teams we assumed would be contenders, teams that would mark their matchups with the Jazz on their calendars as “free wins”. No longer is that the case. Waltzing into Utah without a plan of attack to stop Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, etc. is a death sentence. Will Hardy, a first-year head coach, knows how to exploit you. So far, he’s done it to the best of the best in the NBA.

The Jazz aren’t a fluke (one of the most common fish in the sea, if you hadn’t heard). They play together, they play hard, and they play to win — something you must hate if you’re Ainge, despite your persistence in gritting your teeth and telling the masses that you expected to win, not tank. The Victor Wembenyama sweepstakes fades further out of focus the longer the Jazz keep winning, yet they can’t seem to stop.


Utah outlasts Atlanta, 125-119, becomes first team to double-digit wins

Lauri Markkanen (32 points, eight rebounds) is an All-Star. Dejounte Murray (26-6-5) probably should be too.

Kings hand Cavs second straight loss in huge home win, 127-120

This was arguably the game of the night, and Trey Lyles and Malik Monk made its most pivotal plays down the stretch. Their solo mini-runs swung momentum in favor of the Kings late as they fought off a Cavs comeback.

Despite the loss, Donovan Mitchell has continued to show out in his new home. He scored 38 points on a blistering 16-for-28 shooting; he’s been the best player in the league this season not named Giannis.

Durant has yet another big night as Nets crush Knicks, 112-85

The K*rie-less Nets are watchable! I guess it helps that they have one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history dropping casual 29-12-12 lines on the reg. Durant has still yet to drop fewer than 25 points in a game this season, and he carried the Nets past an increasingly-abominable Knicks squad that is one game closer to firing Tom Thibodeau. Mark my words.

VanVleet goes for 32 as Raptors soar past Rockets, 116-109

Giannis-less Bucks outlast Thunder in double-overtime thriller, 136-132

The continued absence of Khris Middleton was sure to impact the Bucks this season, just as it did in last year’s postseason. But having the best player in the world would help keep any team afloat. But what happens when he sits? Well, Jrue Holiday will take care of things. Well, what happens when he sits?! Surely, it’s a wrap for Milwaukee in that event.

Nah. They’ll just call on Jevon Carter to have a career night, as he did on Wednesday to the tune of 34 points and 12 assists as the Bucks survived Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 39-point effort in two extra periods. The Bucks are now 10-1 and steamrolling whoever they meet, no matter who they’re missing. At the moment, they’re the undisputed title favorites.

Memphis Grizzlies v San Antonio Spurs Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

Ja Morant, Desmond Bane drop 32 apiece in OT win over Spurs, 124-122

How soon is too soon for the Grizzlies’ star duo to be considered top five in the league? When Morant and Bane share the court, their average point differential is a whopping plus-21.5, which places them in the league’s 95th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. And in Wednesday’s win over the Spurs, they were electric yet again, scoring a combined 64 points, which proved to be enough to stave off a late rally from the upstart Spurs.

Pelicans skirt by Bulls in Chicago, 115-111

Celtics stars shine in big win over Pistons, 128-112

Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (30) paced Boston, but Sam Hauser’s blistering 24-point outing is the reason the Pistons never got close. (Well, that and the fact that Cade Cunningham was one-for-11 from the field.) The Celtics have won four in a row.

Banchero-less Magic stun Luka and the Mavs, 94-87

Luka Doncic went cold down the stretch. I missed the break when someone put a lid on his basket in the final frame, but it seemed like everything he put up in the fourth clanged right back off and led to an Orlando bucket. The Magic, despite not having star rookie Paolo Banchero, took care of business behind 22 points from Franz Wagner.

Lillard carries Blazers past Hornets with ease, 105-95

Clippers stay hot, down Lakers to win Battle of L.A., 114-101

The Clippers might finally be figuring out how to play together, and therefore how to win. The concerns about this rotation being too deep for its own good reared their ugly heads in the first few games of the season, and losing Kawhi Leonard to a nagging knee injury — again — certainly didn’t help. But they’ve won five out of their last six games, including a great win over the Cavs on Monday. Things are trending up.

Nuggets come back from down 18 in Indy to win fourth-straight, 122-119

More of this, perhaps.

Suns handle hapless Wolves in Minnesota, 129-117

For the Suns, this win — which sees them improve to 8-3 — is as encouraging as it gets. No Cam Johnson (who just had surgery on his torn meniscus), no Chris Paul, no problem. Devin Booker got his (32 points), but Mikal Bridges was the star. He scored 31, 18 of which came in the first half, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out five assists, and was the defensive menace we’ve come to expect him to be on a nightly basis. He was the best player on the court on Wednesday.

For the Timberwolves, this loss — their fifth in their last six games — better serve as a wakeup call. Anthony Edwards is slumping. And Booker is calling out Minnesota’s lack of identity mid-game.

Is that bad? It’s not good!