The Utah Jazz are still searching for the formula that turns competitive stretches into wins, and Brice Sensabaugh thinks the answer starts with the same thing that’s been slipping away from them all month: consistency over 48 minutes.
Utah’s 1-11 start has left the club stuck in a 10-game losing streak after Wednesday night’s loss to the Orlando Magic, a run that has put the Jazz in a hole far deeper than anyone around the team expected entering 2026-27. A roster many believed could make a real jump has instead spent the first three weeks trying to stop the bleeding.
After the latest defeat, Sensabaugh was asked about the mood in the locker room and what the Jazz need to do to finally break through. His answer was straightforward: the group hasn’t folded mentally, but it hasn’t been able to finish strong enough when games tighten up.
"Yeah, we’ve been in good spirits. I think it’s a little bit tough because we’re in a lot of these games," Sensabaugh said.
"Like I’ve said, we’ve had some very good first halves and some good fourth quarters. I think we’re just in a spot where we’ve got to put it together and figure out how to get 48 good minutes.
"A lot of the time, we’re in these games and it just starts slipping away from us. We’ve had a pretty tough schedule with some teams that have playoff experience, and late in games, the margin for error is very, very small. I think we’ve just been giving it away in those moments."
Sensabaugh backed up that sentiment with his own production against Orlando. Coming off the bench, he played 23 minutes and scored 19 points on 6-10 shooting, while adding three rebounds, one assist, a steal, and a block.
But Utah’s offense couldn’t keep pace late. The Jazz finished a little above 40% from the field and under 32% from three, while the Magic’s 38-point fourth quarter slammed the door.
For Sensabaugh, the lesson is simple: the Jazz have to stay close long enough to give themselves a real shot.
"Obviously, to get better, you’ve got to go through those things and understand what you need to eliminate in those tight moments to keep the game within reach," Sensabaugh said. "To be honest, my personal opinion is that that’s what we’re going through right now."
"We’ve got to figure out how to keep games within striking distance in those third and fourth quarters and give ourselves a chance."
Utah’s hope is that healthier bodies and better shooting will eventually change the story. For now, though, the results haven’t followed the effort, and the Jazz sit with the league’s longest active skid and a 1-11 record matched only by the Milwaukee Bucks.
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