PORTLAND, Ore. – In a decisive victory, the Utah Jazz ended their five-game losing streak by overpowering the Portland Trail Blazers with a score of 141-99 on Friday night.
John Collins led the charge for the Jazz, scoring 20 points, while Keyonte George contributed 17 points to the team’s success. Walker Kessler had an impressive performance as well, posting 13 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks, contributing significantly to only their fifth victory of the season.
For the Trail Blazers, Jerami Grant was the standout scorer with 19 points, but the team faced its third consecutive loss and found themselves down by as much as 46 points at certain moments of the game, prompting dissatisfaction from the home crowd.
The Jazz quickly built a commanding 38-20 lead early in the contest. Portland suffered a setback when Toumani Camara had to exit the game with a right foot injury and was unable to return.
At halftime, the scoreboard read 67-44 in favor of Utah, and the Jazz extended their lead to 30 points, reaching 76-46 during the third quarter. All starters for the Jazz managed to score in double figures by this point in the game.
In terms of player updates, forward Lauri Markkanen was held out of the game as a precautionary measure due to lower back issues, having previously missed three games earlier in the season for the same problem. Svi Mykhailiuk took his place in the lineup.
For the Trail Blazers, the absence of Scoot Henderson marked his fifth consecutive game out due to a left quad contusion, while rookie Donovan Clingan was sidelined with a sprained left knee.
One of the game-changing moments occurred in the third quarter when Collin Sexton assisted Collins for a dunk that put the Jazz ahead 90-59, energizing the bench. In the first half, Shaedon Sharpe also provided a highlight with a dynamic dunk as Portland struggled to reduce the deficit.
In a noteworthy statistic, Blazers guard Anfernee Simons became the fourth player in the franchise’s history to reach over 800 made 3-pointers, joining notable players Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Wesley Matthews. The Blazers, however, struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 14 of their 47 attempts from three-point range.
Both teams will be back in action on Sunday night, with the Jazz facing the Kings and the Trail Blazers traveling to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
