Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Collin Sexton got Victor Wembanyama on the switch.
The 6-foot-1 guard saw the 7-foot-4 center with the ever-reaching wingspan and apparently thought, "You know, I think I can take him one-on-one."
That play early in the second quarter ended predictably with Wembanyama swatting Sexton's layup attempt away during San Antonio's 118-111 win over the Jazz on Wednesday at the Delta Center.
The loss officially eliminated the Jazz from postseason contention.
That Sexton drive, though, strangely enough, helped kickstart the Jazz a bit.
The first quarter had been awful; Utah had scored just 15 points and had dug itself a 16-point hole. They ended up winning the second, third, and fourth quarters.
Shortly after Sexton's optimistic drive against the French phenom (Wembanyama finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five blocks), the Jazz rolled off a 12-2 run.
Coincidence?
"He is an energy giver," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "I think you see it in the way that our fans react to him, the way that his teammates react to him, the way that he reacts to his teammates."
Hardy said if you really wanted to get a look at the type of energy Sexton provides, simply take a look at the bench when he's not playing. He's constantly standing, screaming and tiptoeing the line of being a little too engaged.
It often gets to a point that officials have to give Hardy reminders that Sexton can't always be standing.
On Saturday in Houston, Sexton looked like he had crossed the line. Kris Dunn and Jabari Smith Jr. got into a scuffle and Sexton shot off the bench and ran all the way into the paint. That, though, wasn't allowed. He quickly realized his mistake and made a beeline back to the bench.
By the letter of the law, he was looking at a suspension. That suspension, though, never came.
"He did the right thing — he caught himself and ran back to the bench," Hardy said. "So I'm happy for him that he didn't have to miss a game based on something like that."
Especially due to how important playing all 82 games is to Sexton.
In 2021-22, he played only 11 games due to an early-season knee injury. Last season, his first in Utah, he was limited to 48 games due to a recurring hamstring injury.
At the end of last season, he made his goal clear: He didn't want to miss a single game this season.
"Collin wants to play all 82, and I love that about him," Hardy said. "Obviously, he suffered some injuries last year, and based on the rehab of those injuries and trying to take a bigger picture approach, we had to hold him back at times; and Collin does not like to be held back."
Hardy said Sexton is doing everything in his power to play all 82 games. So far, he hasn't missed a game, and the Jazz are glad a split-second emotional reaction didn't cost him a chance to accomplish his season-long goal.
"In those moments, you're a human," Hardy said. "There's a difference between going two feet onto the court and actually engaging in a scuffle. I think the league's doing the right thing by looking at them on a case-by-case basis and seeing who actually is adding to those situations, and who is just having a quick emotional reaction and then catches themselves."
There are nine games left in the season following Wednesday's loss. For Sexton, that means nine more chances to suit up.
"It'll mean a lot," he said of playing the entire season. "It definitely means a lot to me — way more than many people will understand. That's my goal; 82 is my goal."
