Jazz Fall Just Short in Atlanta as Bailey, Collier Shine in Homecoming Thriller
The Utah Jazz are in the middle of a roster shakeup, but Thursday night in Atlanta, they were still rolling with a skeleton crew. No Jaren Jackson Jr., no John Konchar, no Vince Williams Jr. - all part of the recent trade with Memphis but not yet with the team.
No Keyonte George, who’s nursing an ankle sprain. No Kevin Love, out with illness.
Jusuf Nurkić was a healthy scratch. And yet, even with just eight players available, the Jazz nearly stole one on the road.
The final score? 121-119, Hawks.
But this one was about more than just the result. It was about two young stars playing in front of their hometown crowd, a wild twist of the trade deadline, and a depleted Jazz team that refused to fold.
Bailey and Collier’s Atlanta Homecoming: Electric
Before the game even tipped off, the energy in State Farm Arena had a different feel. That’s because two of Utah’s rising rookies - Ace Bailey and Isaiah Collier - were back in familiar territory.
Bailey starred at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. Collier?
Just down the road at Wheeler High, where his jersey was retired the night before.
The crowd came ready, and when both were announced in the starting lineup, the cheers were louder than anything the Hawks got.
“I’m not gonna lie, the crowd cheered louder when Ace was announced than when the Hawks were announced,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said postgame.
The duo didn’t just soak in the moment - they delivered. Bailey and Collier connected on one of the highlights of the night, a slick alley-oop that had the arena buzzing. It was a Bailey-to-Collier-to-Bailey sequence that felt like a mixtape moment come to life.
Collier, in particular, was relentless. Per the game broadcast, he became the first Jazz player since Adrian Dantley to play back-to-back 48-minute games - a stat that speaks to both his stamina and Utah’s current roster crunch. He finished with 25 points, 11 assists, and seven boards, showing poise well beyond his years.
Bailey wasn’t far behind. He dropped 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, and hit a clutch three late in the fourth that nearly swung the game in Utah’s favor. If not for a dagger from former Jazz guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 1.3 seconds left, Bailey might’ve been the hero.
Jock Landale: From Jazz (Briefly) to Hawks Hero
In one of the stranger twists of the trade deadline, big man Jock Landale was technically a member of the Utah Jazz - for a few hours. He was part of the package Utah received from Memphis, but before he could even suit up, the Jazz flipped him to Atlanta.
On Thursday, Landale made his Hawks debut. Not only did he start, he dominated.
Landale poured in a game-high 26 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and dished out five assists. It was the kind of performance that made you double-check the box score. For a guy who barely had time to unpack before being rerouted, Landale looked like he’d been running with the Hawks all season.
A Gritty Effort, But Another L for the Jazz
Despite all the absences, Utah came to play. Brice Sensabaugh continued his strong stretch with 18 points in 30 minutes before fouling out.
Lauri Markkanen, surprisingly, sat the entire fourth quarter - a curious decision considering how tight the game was. Whether it was strategic rest or something else, it left the Jazz leaning heavily on their young core down the stretch.
And still, they nearly pulled it off.
It took a perfect shot from Alexander-Walker to seal it for Atlanta. And while a loss is still a loss, the Jazz showed fight, chemistry, and flashes of what their future might look like - especially with Bailey and Collier leading the charge.
Looking Ahead: Reinforcements Incoming
The Jazz are clearly in transition. The recent trade with Memphis signals a shift toward the future, and with Jackson Jr., Konchar, and Williams Jr. set to join soon, the roster is about to get a lot deeper.
But in the meantime, Utah’s young guns are getting meaningful minutes - and making the most of them.
What’s next? Likely more growing pains, some creative rotations, and a few more close finishes. But if Thursday night in Atlanta was any indication, the Jazz aren’t going down quietly.