SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz dropped their first game of 2026, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 118-101.
The Jazz trailed 16-0 to start the game, but battled back to take a four-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Ultimately, Kawhi Leonard’s game-high 45 points sunk the Jazz, who were led in scoring by veteran guard Kyle Anderson’s 22-point night.
With Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Jusuf Nurkic, and Walker Kessler all out on Thursday, second-year wing Cody Williams stepped into extended minutes.
The former lottery pick played 26 minutes off the bench and delivered a career-high 18 points on 6–10 shooting, including 2–5 from three.
It marked only his second double-digit scoring game this season and the sixth of his career.
Williams made an impact early, opening the Jazz’s scoring with a wide-open dunk and then repeatedly attacking the paint, using his length to finish around the rim.
Cody to the rack with 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 😮💨
(that’s an 18-4 run for us btw 👀) pic.twitter.com/RQ3gEMR7Df
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2026
Though his slender frame has never allowed him to bully defenders—dating back to his freshman year at Colorado—his slippery athleticism often surprises opponents and creates unlikely driving lanes.
In the NBA, however, he has attacked off the dribble less often, preferring to swing the ball to shooters or test his still-unreliable three-point shot.
On defense, his positioning remains strong, and his added strength helps him hold his ground, but he continues to struggle on the glass and doesn’t yet force many turnovers.
After the game, Williams said he has been studying another longtime NBA player with a similar build who made an impact without relying on physical dominance.
“I’ve watched a lot of film on cuts and slashes, I watched Corey Brewer highlights, how he runs the floor, and how he slashes,” Williams said.
Like Brewer, Williams likely needs to carve out his role as a 3-and-D wing—someone who takes tough defensive assignments, hits open shots, and attacks closeouts.
Cody got his claw all over that 😱 pic.twitter.com/XY8rYERzk4
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 2, 2026
Brewer extended those skills, despite his famously skinny frame, into a successful 12-year career.
Against the Clippers, Williams showed flashes of that blueprint, hitting two threes, guarding multiple positions, and driving past defenders who closed out on his jumper.
He hasn’t yet shown he can play that way consistently, but his performance to start the New Year was a step in the right direction.
Where the Jazz Stand in the NBA
After losing to the Clippers, the Jazz fell to 12–21, tying LA for the league’s eighth-worst record.
They sit 1.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the West’s final play-in spot and only one game ahead of the Mavericks, Hornets, and Nets, who share the NBA’s fifth-worst record.
Fans continue to track the standings closely because the Jazz owe a top-8 protected first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the pick lands 9–30, it conveys to OKC.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️
▪️ HOU (#4 in West) wins 4th straight
▪️ MIA (#7 in East) wins 4th straight
▪️ BOS (#3 in East) wins 2nd straight
▪️ LAC wins 6th straight
▪️ PHI rises to #5 in East
Download the NBA App for more: https://t.co/pBKIAWOrdI pic.twitter.com/iLsl6MND3z
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2026
With Thursday’s loss, the Jazz and Clippers would need a coin toss to determine who holds the eighth- and ninth-best lottery odds, though they would split their lottery combinations evenly.
If Dallas, Charlotte, and Brooklyn all pass Utah, the Jazz would hold nearly a 42 percent chance of jumping into the top four—and less than a one percent chance of falling to ninth and conveying their pick.
With 49 games remaining, the Jazz still have plenty of time to shape their position ahead of lottery night.
The Jazz will travel to face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 8 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.