Utah Jazz

Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder started the season off better than anyone expected. They went 5-6 early despite being seen as a tanking candidate.

The two teams will then head to Salt Lake City to complete the home-and-home. Now the Jazz will make the short flight to Houston to play the Rockets on a back-to-back. The latter two came on the road.

he Utah Jazz are one of five remaining undefeated teams so far in this young NBA season. Still a lot of basketball left, but I don't think even the most ...

It’s too early in the season to be making bold predictions about the heights that this Jazz team will reach this year. But there is one thing that Jazz fans everywhere will agree on after this first week, this team is a breath of fresh air and fun to watch so far. After going up by 17 points early in the 4th quarter, it seemed like the game might end up as a blowout. It’s safe to say that this Utah Jazz team has some talent and the heart to go along with it. After defeating the Pelicans on Sunday night, the reality is that this Jazz team just posted an impressive win against an up and coming New Orleans team that everyone assumes is going to be in the playoffs this year, making that three presumed playoff teams in a row. It should be noted that New Orleans also lost all star Brandon Ingram earlier in the game due to a concussion.

Let's break it down. Lauri Markkanen: 31 Points. New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) shoots a jump shot over Utah Jazz.

He finished with 20 points, going 7-of-12 from the field (2-of-3 from three-point land), and produced three rebounds, five assists, and a steal. This was, once again, a total team win for the Jazz. Clarkson was instrumental to Utah's overtime win, even though he struggled shooting from the field at times. Jarred Vanderbilt got into foul trouble, but he was a force to be reckoned with for Utah. It was another gritty victory that the Jazz had to take down to the wire in overtime to secure. He was once again in double digits, finishing with a team-high 31 points.

That wasn't abnormal thinking around the league, given the Jazz traded their two franchise cornerstones in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert this past offseason ...

Or maybe, just maybe, Danny Ainge and the rest of Utah's front office don't actually want to tank and are trying to make a run at a play-in spot. That wasn't abnormal thinking around the league, given the Jazz traded their two franchise cornerstones in [Donovan Mitchell](/nba/players/2842760/donovan-mitchell/) and [Rudy Gobert](/nba/players/2067669/rudy-gobert/) this past offseason [in an effort to press reset on the franchise's future](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/utah-jazz-2022-23-nba-preview-its-nothing-less-than-a-total-teardown-in-salt-lake-city/). Williamson [was later diagnosed with a hip contusion](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/zion-williamson-injury-update-pelicans-star-exits-game-vs-jazz-doesnt-return-after-suffering-hip-contusion/) after the game. Although the lottery odds have been flattened so that the team with the worst record isn't always guaranteed to land the No. Those two caveats aside, though, no one could've expected that the Jazz would be 3-0 to start the season. [Zion Williamson](/nba/players/3042398/zion-williamson/) also did not play most of the fourth quarter after taking a hard fall on a dunk attempt.

The Jazz opened the fourth quarter on a run against the Pelicans before Jordan Clarkson made a highlight block on Zion Williamson.

Clarkson chased down the Pelicans star and blocked the shot while Williamson fell hard to the court. Utah Jazz Scoreboard Williamson appeared to be okay following the play.

The Jazz led by 17 in the fourth quarter but squandered the lead only to win thanks to a scoop shot from big man Kelly Olynyk with 3.1 seconds left. A CJ ...

Put this 3-0 start directing into my veins, hahaha.— Spencer Ryan Hall (@spencerhall) [October 24, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/qYW3FJ7z9B] [October 24, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/W9sLZE93YB] [October 24, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/zwmMIbpg02] [October 24, 2022] [pic.twitter.com/PAnJ55rDm9] [October 24, 2022]

(Gerald Herbert | The Associated Press) Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) slam dunks over New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas, left, and forward ...

“It’s been three games now, but if you want to be good, you have to make it four, and if you want to be great, you have to make it five,” Olynyk added. I think they’re missing the fact that the collection, the sum can be greater than the individual parts, if that make sense — the way they fit together, the way they play together,” the coach said. A team that’s hungry, a team that’s playing hard,” Conley said. Learn from ’em, grow from ’em, and come out better the next game.” “And I was fortunate to be able to make a few of those plays.” I really think that sometimes people look at just the individuals, and stack up individuals against individuals and they miss how a team fits together.” “Whatever the result is, I know all these are lacing ‘em up and going out and playing hard.” “We talked about putting Gobert on the free-throw line in Minnesota — that hard foul that Mike took at the end of overtime. “Yeah, winning plays come in a variety of packages throughout an NBA season, and that foul was probably the play that won us the game — not letting Gobert just dunk the ball,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. “And if we win, we win. No, he didn’t get Russell back on a crossover of his own; and no, he didn’t bury what proved to be the game-winning shot … “Mike put his body on the line, scared us all for a second there the way he fell.

The Utah Jazz were supposed to be tanking and joining the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. But here they are now at 3-0.

“The Jazz are absolute chaos. Realistically speaking, it’s hard to imagine the Jazz maintaining such run. Great story early in the season.” A team of “throwaways”. While teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle and remain winless, the star-less Utah franchise goes out there looking like the best team in the league–which they are now, at least record-wise. The Utah Jazz were supposed to be joining the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.