Orlando Magic Vs. Utah Jazz: Recap And Final Score

The Utah Jazz lost to the Orlando Magic, with a final score of 123-108 in a game that where the Jazz showed signs of life, until the latter half of the fourth quarter.

Once again, Darryn Peterson played well. He finished the night with 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, on 7-19 from the field and 2-9 from deep.

Notably, Peterson is reading the floor better already. He’s reading the drop big on free-throw line extended screens better; tonight he fainted a screen rejection, then stepped into open space after the defense bit on the fake. He’s adjusting his driving angles by attacking the rim perpendicularly; tonight he created space against the shot-blocker by creating contact against the blocker’s chest and leveraging rim as a shield. And on defense, his hands are as active as ever, ending the night with a block and a steal.

We must sing Ace Bailey’s praises as well. More than anyone else on the roster, Bailey has adjusted his playing still to fit the needs of the team. He attacks the glass and defends the perimeter relentlessly. And as evidenced by his 4 blocks tonight, he’s developed as a phenomenal secondary rim-protector. It’s not secret that his shot has struggled, but he managed to finish the night with 18 points, along with seven rebounds and two assists.

For Orlando, Franz Wager matched a career-night with 38 points, with eight rebounds and an assist. While injuries have hampered the Magic as well, the trio of Wager, Desmond Bane, and Anthony Black accounted for 85 of Orlando’s 123 points, proving insurmountable for Utah.

The winless streak extends to 10. With this loss, the Jazz’s chances of partaking in post-season play are infinitesimally small. Thanks to our friend Dan Clayton at Salt City Hoops, we can see that only one team in the last 20 yearshave made postseason after starting 1-10 (let alone, 1-11):

Who knows? Darryn Peterson proving that he’s the budding star we thought he was seems like a great starting point for beating the odds. Utah take a one-stop road-trip to Houston to take on the Rockets on Friday.