Darryn Peterson’s night ended early in Utah’s 117-111 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday, and the closing stretch belonged to Brice Sensabaugh.
Peterson, the rookie guard, scored 18 points in 26 minutes but did not see the floor over the final seven minutes of regulation or in overtime. Sensabaugh entered with 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, knocked down a three to help push the game into overtime, and then supplied all six of Utah’s points in the extra period with two more triples.
Afterward, head coach Will Hardy pointed to the kind of late-game detail that can decide tight games.
“We’ve got to clean up execution,” Hardy said, according to Shreyas Laddha of The Salt Lake Tribune, when asked why Peterson sat out the final seven minutes. “In those moments of the game, you have to be able to execute the game plan. I think Darryn is making a lot of strides, but in that moment, I felt like it was better to go with Brice.”
Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune noted that Hardy’s reference to cleaning up “execution” is basically “Hardy-speak” for Peterson making a mistake on an offensive play and/or defensive scheme. Even so, Hardy made it clear the late switch was as much about Sensabaugh’s fit in that moment as it was about Peterson.
“Brice is someone that we trust, and he also had a little bit fresher legs,” Hardy said. “He has a real knack for scoring and using his body.
It’s not just threes. He happened to hit a three there, but he’s really good at getting into his defender and getting some pull-ups as well.
It just felt like a moment where we needed some one-on-one scoring.”
Elsewhere in the Northwest, Nikola Jokic hit a major milestone Wednesday in Denver’s win over New Orleans. The three-time MVP finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, giving him the 200th regular season triple-double of his career. That makes Jokic just the second player ever to reach that mark, and he now needs 10 more to pass Russell Westbrook’s record of 209.
Portland, meanwhile, was without Robert Williams on Thursday against Memphis because of a sore left knee. Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori said the move was mostly precautionary, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. The Blazers felt Williams’ absence in their first loss of the season, with reserve centers Branden Carlson and Micah Potter combining for just three points and four rebounds while finishing at minus-18 together.
The night also brought an early exit for Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant, who was facing his former team for the first time. Portland said Morant left Thursday’s game against the Grizzlies because of a left hamstring injury. There was no immediate word on whether he’ll miss more time, and Freeman reported that he finished the night on the bench with a wrap around his left leg.
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Darryn Peterson Has A Real Chance As Jazz Wait For More
Darryn Petersons first stretch with the Jazz has looked like what it usually looks like when a young guard is asked to learn on the fly: some hesitation, some mistakes, and enough flashes to keep the staff interested. The rookie has started to look more comfortable with each game, playing with a little more confidence as Utah continues to sort through its early-season rotation and try to develop a player it believes can grow into a real piece.
The numbers reflect both sides of that equation. Peterson is averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting about 35 percent from the field and from deep, a line that fits the growing pains of a first-year guard rather than a finished product. With more chances in front of him, the message from the Jazz has been simple: keep learning, keep pushing, and keep attacking instead of waiting for the game to come to him. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Already Have Early Winners And Losers In This Rotation
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The other side of that coin is just as important for a team still trying to settle its backcourt and wing minutes. Isaiah Collier and Svi Mykhailiuk have both had a rough go of it early, and the lack of consistent shooting has made it harder for either player to carve out a secure role. For a Jazz team already sorting through early-season losses, those kinds of growing pains can turn a crowded rotation into a very short one in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Losses Are Suddenly Carrying A Cost Fans Wont Like
The Jazzs rough opening has done more than put them behind in the standings. A 1-4 start, along with the injury issues that have already thinned the roster around key pieces like Jaren Jackson Jr., has also brought an old trade obligation back into focus, one that could start mattering more quickly if this early slide keeps going.
Utah owes Memphis a conditional draft pick from the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal, and the way it is structured makes every loss carry a little extra weight for a fan base already bracing for a long season. The tricky part is that the value of that pick has been reshaped by the NBAs newer lottery system, which changes how much Memphis can ultimately gain if the Jazz wind up near the bottom of the league. [Read more 🡒]