'We were right there': New rotations give hope to Jazz in loss to Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — It was a new starting lineup for the Utah Jazz Wednesday against Indiana.

Some of that decision was forced — Utah had to replace Walker Kessler after he was ruled out for two weeks with an elbow sprain — but it was also partially by choice. Jazz coach Will Hardy decided he had seen enough to promote rookie guard Keyonte George into the starting lineup.

So the Jazz went with a lineup of George, Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, John Collins and Ochai Agbaji, who made his first start of the season.

It was a new starting group, but it yielded an all-too-familiar result.

The Jazz lost their fourth straight game, this time losing 134-118 to the Indiana Pacers Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, spoiling George's first start of his career.

The same problems that have plagued the Jazz in the early season came up again. Utah had 22 turnovers (leading to 28 points) and committed 17 fouls. And, like has been the case so many times this season, those issues reared the ugly head at the seemingly worst moments.

There was obvious excitement over a new starting group. But on Wednesday, it was less about how the Jazz played at the beginning and more about how they finished.

"I think we had six turnovers in (the fourth quarter), which is a lot," Hardy said. "When you're closing a game, that's when we have to be most disciplined with the ball. And you give a team like that six or seven looks at running out in transition off turnovers and it's really hard."

The Pacers won the fourth quarter by 13 points to pull away for the lopsided win. In a game where defense was optional for much of the night, Indiana found some late. After scoring 98 points through the first three quarters, the Jazz were held to just 20 points in the final 12 minutes.

Indiana went on a 25-8 run that spanned the final minute of the third quarter and the first half of the final period. That ruined what was looking like it could be a night filled with increased optimism.

After the Jazz started the game giving up 7 quick points, Hardy called a timeout that seemed to settle his team. Utah went on a 12-0 run out of the timeout and looked like a completely overhauled team — more than anything fans had seen this season.

John Collins (14 points and nine rebounds) made strong rolls to the hoop, Jordan Clarkson (33 points and five assists) had a lot of space to work isolation moves, and Lauri Markkanen (24 points and nine rebounds) did a little bit of everything. It was a wide-open offense that scored with ease.

And the team coupled that with an active defense that was constantly in motion. For what was surely a glorious couple minutes for fans, the Jazz looked downright good. Those feelings didn't last, of course. Utah committed nine fouls in the second quarter, and fell in love with straight-line drives, and the game slipped away.

"We sort of lost focus on the fact that the person that drives doesn't have to shoot every time," Hardy said.

But there were enough glimmers of hope — or as Hardy calls them, "pockets of good play" — to think the Jazz might have something with their new rotations.

"I feel like we were right there," Agbaji said. "I mean, obviously that stretch where they increased the lead in the fourth quarter was rough, but we were right there."

Added Clarkson: "We all see the spurts in the game where we are really good."

The goal is to make those spurts become a bit more consistent. And Clarkson thinks George — who had nine assists to just one turnover — can eventually help with that.

"Today was a really good showing in terms of Keyonte at the point running the show, playing his role and doing what he does," he said. "I know that he'll have big games scoring. He'll have big games getting assists and passes, so I think right now it's a bit of a feel thing."

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