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SALT LAKE CITY — John Collins got the defender on his hip and drove past him before elevating for a two-handed flush.
With that dunk with 2:09 remaining in Utah's 101-100 loss to the Houston Rockets, Collins notched his first 30-point game as a member of the Jazz. He finished with 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting, made a season-high four 3-pointers, and added 11 rebounds to boot.
It wasn't quite enough for the Jazz to pull off a victory over the red-hot Rockets, who won their 10th straight game Friday, but it was a showcase of what a comfortable Collins can look like in Utah.
"It's tough to transition to a new place," Will Hardy said. "I think he's taken it all in stride, probably frustrated earlier in the season with how it was going for him, but he's a real pro and does the work every day and doesn't complain. And so it's nice to see him have a night like tonight."
Collins doesn't shy away from that fact, either.
It was a new organization, a new coach, a new system, a new role, a new city, a new ... well, everything. There were times he looked lost on the court, not knowing where he should be for spacing purposes, or what was expected of him defensively. That, at least, slightly mirrored what he was going through in life away from the Delta Center.
He was learning a new place — where to go shopping, what restaurants to go to, how to get to work — and, he admits, that made it difficult for him to feel settled on the court.
"I'm finally figuring it all out — the flow, the rhythm, my route to and from home, where I like go eat," Collins said. "All that stuff factors in for me."
It took some time, but he's finally feeling at home — both in his new state and new team.
As Keyonte George was leaving the locker room after struggling to a 6-point night in the loss, Collins encouraged him to keep his "head up." He had a side conversation with Omer Yurtseven filled with some laughs. And he interrupted his postgame interview to make sure Walker Kessler knew what he thought about the big man's fit.
"Life has finally settled down and allowed my brain to just relax a little bit," he said. "I'm definitely finding a home."
That newfound comfort has led to his best basketball of the season. Since the calendar turned to March, he's averaged 19.0 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field and 51% from the 3-point line.
"Not to sound like a broken record, but it takes some time, at least for me, to get comfortable in my new environment," Collins said. "And I just feel like I've done that. I'm comfortable now and I feel like that's a big part of it."
It doesn't hurt that he's shooting some of the best percentages of his career lately, either.
"John's done a really good job of mixing in popping and rolling," Hardy said. "It makes him a tough cover. The defense can't prepare for one thing. That's where he's given us a huge lift on the offensive end. Based on who's guarding him, based on what spacing we're running, he's able to mix up popping and rolling. It makes him a dynamic threat."
A threat that didn't always emerge with the Atlanta Hawks, and that's something that's noticeable from one of his teammates.
Collin Sexton is an Atlanta native and still keeps an eye on his hometown team, which meant he watched a lot of Collins. He sees a different player now — more than he ever did then.
"A lot of people didn't realize how he could shoot the ball," Sexton said. "And I feel like we've shown that he's a pick-and-pop big, and he can also get on the rim — whatever is needed."
He just needed to find some comfort first.
"I'm not one that likes to rush things," Collins said. "I try to let it grow, and I feel like I've done that. I'm trying to continue to nurture myself and integrate myself to the Utah Jazz and the city of Salt Lake."
