In a game with two teams hoping to lose, the Utah Jazz were better than the Washington Wizards in the tank race and got the loss, 125-122.
Even after resting almost everyone on the team, it's pretty remarkable that the Jazz still nearly won this one. The Washington Wizards should truly feel bad that they could not put the Jazz away in easy fashion, considering how much Utah did to lose. To start the game, Utah’s list of players was as long as you could make it and still field a team.
Jazz Injury Report:
*OUT - Keyonte George (illness)
*OUT - Jaden Springer (low back soreness)
OUT - Jordan Clarkson (left plantar fasciitis)
OUT - John Collins (low back - injury management)
OUT - Elijah Harkless (G League)
OUT - Taylor Hendricks (right fibula fracture)…
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 5, 2025
But the Jazz still had some nice performances. Probably the most fun came from Oscar Tshiebwe, a rebounding monster. In 19 minutes, Tshiebwe had 13 rebounds. Although to start the game he was grabbing more rebounds than minutes played. Tshiebwe’s rebounding also appears to be on the scouting report because, after the Jazz took shots, the Wizards started doing team boxouts on Tshiebwe. It’s a pretty impressive thing for a player so far from the rotation to be someone other teams are worrying about.
Utah’s leading scorer was Johnny Juzang, who got hot in the 4th. His shooting, at times, can be really impactful, and it nearly got the Jazz into overtime. It was also a solid performance by Isaiah Collier, who did some nice things in the halfcourt. On top of his 6 assists, Collier scored 19 points on 50% shooting. It’s games like this that almost force these players out of their shells and allow them to do things they might not normally do. For Collier, that was taking 14 field goals.
With about 20 games left this season, Utah has its eye on the prize, and it’s good that they do. There is no reason to go through a season like this and not go all the way in. Despite some games, they should have probably rested more players; Utah has done a good job of positioning themselves for the lottery. They should have made some decisions last season to clear the roster of veterans, and this season would have been a little more stress-free, but the end result will likely be the same regardless.
The question after a game like this now is what happens next season for the Jazz. Do they start going for it and push for a play-in spot? Or will they go for the tank in a more traditional way with veteran trades before the season starts?