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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz lost a 9-point second-half lead and were outscored by 23 points in the fourth quarter in an 82-65 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Friday at the Las Vegas Summer League.
So it was a bad day for the Summer Jazz, right? Well, not exactly.
The day the Jazz dropped to 2-2 in the annual Sin City showcase may have been the most promising of Utah's Summer League slate. The reason: Leandro Bolmaro.
The second-year wing, the former first-round pick who the Jazz acquired in the Rudy Gobert trade, showed out.
Bolmaro's arguably been Utah's best player in Las Vegas. He's been effective running the offense, has been great attacking off the dribble and really fights on the defensive end. His shooting, though, has limited his effectiveness.
He found his shot on Friday.
Bolmaro was 8 of 15 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as he led the Jazz with 19 points in the loss to the Clippers. He also added six rebounds and two steals.
Bolmaro scored 14 of his 19 points in the second and third quarter, helping the Jazz push their lead to nearly double digits. Once he went out, the wheels fell off for Utah as the Clippers went on an 18-0 run to take control of the game.
But that big run — and the fourth quarter that followed — shouldn't take away from Bolmaro's game.
Bolmaro went to work 💼#TakeNote | @BolmaroLeandropic.twitter.com/YNTjrWHCbH
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 15, 2022
When Bolmaro's found out that he was traded to Utah, his first thought was: "It's a new opportunity. I gotta take advantage of that."
He asked to play in Las Vegas in order to help kickstart that opportunity. But his first three games were a bit of a mixed bag. He showed flashes of potential — the vision, the ball handling, the creative passes — but averaged just 8 points on 24% shooting and 15% from deep.
"I asked to play for summer league because I want to get better," he said. "I want to improve; I wanted to win my place on the team. So I'm using the summer league to get ready for the season and have some rhythm for me."
Bolmaro described himself as an "all-around player" who is willing to do anything for the team.
"I can shoot, I can bring energy, I can bring intensity and I want to do what the team needs to win," he said. "I want to help the team to win so I'm gonna get my role and do it well."
He did it well on Friday, and showed a glimpse of what could come in the future.
"It's a great opportunity for me to develop my game and to start over," he said about coming to Utah. "So I'm happy to be here."
