Short-handed Jazz edge Hawks to snap skid

Field Level Media|published: Sat 16th March, 24:30 2024

Mar 15, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) during the second quarter at Delta Center. credits: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Keyonte George scored 25 points and Collin Sexton added 21 as the host Utah Jazz snapped a three-game losing streak with a 124-122 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

The short-handed Jazz (29-37) started three rookies, including George, Brice Sensabaugh (14 points) and Taylor Hendricks (10 rebounds). Utah got a lift and career-high nights by G-League call-ups Johnny Juzang (19 points) and Micah Potter (11 points).

Veteran John Collins, who played the previous six seasons with Atlanta, contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds against his former team.

Dejounte Murray led all scorers with 33 points to go with nine assists and seven rebounds. He sparked a late comeback by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to set up a tight finish.

The Hawks (29-37) had two chances to win it down the stretch, but Murray missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt with 35.9 seconds remaining. Utah denied a pass to Murray after the Hawks got possession with 8.9 seconds left. Vit Krejci then missed a last-second 3.

It was the first game back in Utah for former Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who coached the Jazz from 2014-22. He received a warm welcome from the Delta Center crowd during a pregame video tribute.

De'Andre Hunter added 27 points for Atlanta, while Jalen Johnson chipped in 26 points. Clint Cappella pulled down 15 rebounds and added 10 points.

The Jazz, playing without Jordan Clarkson (right groin strain), Lauri Markkanen (quad contusion) and Kris Dunn (rest), shot 51.1 percent from the floor while hitting 14 3-pointers. Utah controlled the interior, outscoring Atlanta 56-34 in the paint.

Murray scored five points in the final 27 seconds of the third, including a buzzer-beating 3, to help the Hawks trim Utah's lead to two.

The Jazz quickly built that lead back up to nine after a four-point play by Potter before Atlanta scored seven straight.

Sexton sparked an 8-0 Jazz run with a jumper then forced a steal and hit a 3-pointer to give Utah a 10-point lead. Murray cut it back down to two points with 1:18 left.

—Field Level Media