The Utah Jazz lost a preseason game... allegedly

The Utah Jazz lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the first preseason game of 2021.

The game wasn’t televised, and that may have been a blessing to Jazz fans. The team shot 32% overall, 23% from beyond the arc, and 60% from the free-throw line. If you chose to watch a cheap horror movie in the spirit of Halloween rather than tuning in to a shady online stream of the game, you might have made the right choice. This was an ugly game for Utah.

Now, I should mention that the Jazz did not play Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Ingles, or Rudy Gay. Mike Conley and Royce O’Neale played for fewer than 18 minutes. It is the preseason, after all. So don’t jump to any conclusions.

The best thing to see in the preseason is how new players fit into the system. Jared Butler, the new Jazz rookie, was who many Jazz fans were excited to see. After a rough start, Butler eventually found his rhythm and finished the night with 16 points. He made some nice plays along the way that can give you an idea of what he can do, including some pick & roll floaters and a nice steal leading to a layup.

Eric Paschall showed nice hustle and athleticism. He scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in 20 minutes of play. Trent Forrest, Udoka Azubuike, and Elijah Hughes all made sprinkled in some impressive plays along the way too.

Poor game notwithstanding, it was great to see the Utah Jazz back on the court. The regular season can’t come soon enough!

The next preseason game is on Wednesday at 6:30 pm in Dallas.