Oklahoma City Thunder

Ryan Kostecka

It had been nearly three months since Utah last took the court at the newly-named Delta Center — but when the Jazz took the court for their first game of the Salt Lake City Summer League Monday night, it was evident how much Jazz Nation missed the team.&nbsp;

Despite being hailed with raucous cheers throughout the night, Utah struggled against the experienced Thunder on Monday night, falling 95-85 in their first game of the Salt Lake City Summer League.&nbsp;

"I thought that was a great first test for summer league. … A high-level game," summer league head coach Evan Bradds said. "We relaxed a little, and then we matched their physicality to end the third and start the fourth. … I'm positive heading into the next game. I'm excited."

Here are five things to know following the loss:&nbsp;

1.) Agbaji Shines In New RoleAfter ending last season with a flourish — averaging 13.7 points (including a career-high 28 against Denver in the final home game), 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in the final 23 games (20 starts) — Agbaji would be challenged this summer. 

As the only Jazz player to see significant time last year playing this summer, Agbaji was thrust into a new role. According to Bradds, Agbaji would be the focal point of the offense this summer — a chance to see how he reacted as the go-to guy.&nbsp;

Although he got off to a slow start, Agbaji again flashed those same traits that have Utah's front office so excited about the second-year player's future.&nbsp;

He finished with 17 points, adding nine rebounds and one assist. Most impressively, he did most of his work when being defended by Jalen Williams, a first-team all-rookie member last year for the Thunder.&nbsp;

"Obviously, it was our first game and we had some struggles," Agbaji said. "I thought we did a good job recollecting ourselves at halftime, staying with the game plan. … We showed a lot of fight from our guys."

2.) George Has Solid DebutKeyonte George will be the first to tell you his Jazz debut could've gone better — he literally said that. But just because George wanted it to be better doesn't mean it wasn't solid. 

Getting his first taste of NBA competition, George overcame a slow start to flash his high potential in the second half. He finished with a team-high 18 points, adding five rebounds, four assists, and three steals as he led Utah's second-half comeback.&nbsp;

One of the biggest takeaways from George on the night was the fact that he was often the quickest player on the court. Using a tight handle and a quick first step, he had no problem breaking down his defender and getting to the rim. Also, he showed the ability to move past mistakes quickly, never letting the previous play dictate the future ones.&nbsp;

While there are sure to be more growing pains, George proved that he's up for the challenge, which should make for an exciting summer.&nbsp;

"It feels great. … Felt great to play basketball again," George said. "I had to make some adjustments after the first half, but just trying to learn everything. It was getting the jitters out to be honest, it's a little bit different from college. … Overall, I had fun."

3.) Luka, The AthleteWhile Agbaji and George stole the headlines on Monday night, Luke Samanic again showed why he became a big part of Utah's rotation late last season. 

It was known that he could shoot and rebound, but Samanic looked much more athletic tonight than at any point last season. He finished with 13 points and six rebounds.&nbsp;

There were runs in transition where he took flight from outside the key, showing no fear of contact and finishing at the rim. He also looks like he added good weight, making him more explosive and strong enough to defend bigger players in the post.

4.) Summer League FansSimply put, Monday night at the Delta Center was absolutely rocking. 

For most summer league games — especially ones not located in Las Vegas — the environment can be described best as exciting. Fans are into the game but not completely locked in on every possession. They cheer for the good plays and essentially ignore the mistakes.&nbsp;

Jazz Nation showed out in many ways, including selling out the entire lower bowl. They jeered every Oklahoma City mistake and went nuts for every Jazz highlight. It may have just been summer league, but it felt like an important game in late March.&nbsp;

5.) Never Giving UpIn what emerged as a theme for the Jazz last season, they proved night in and night out that they will never go down without a fight. 

Despite a different team on the sidelines and a new coach leading the charge on the sidelines, the DNA from Jazz head coach Will Hardy was all over Utah's summer league team.&nbsp;

Trailing by as much as 27 points midway through the third quarter, Utah finally settled in both ends of the court. They got stops on defense and pushed the tempo on offense, cutting the deficit to eight multiple times late in the fourth.

Although the comeback never came to fruition, Utah again showed that regardless of whether it's January or July, this team will play until the final whistle.&nbsp;

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"Showed A Lot Of Fight" | Five Things To Know From Utah's Salt Lake City Summer League Debut

After their lives changed just weeks ago when the Utah Jazz selected them in the first round of the NBA draft, rookies Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh are hoping to make their NBA summer league debuts in the coming week.&nbsp;

The Summer League season officially kicks off on Monday when the Jazz play three games over four days in the Salt Lake City Summer League — joined by Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, and Memphis.&nbsp;

The three-day event will feature two games each night at 5 and 7 p.m. at the newly renamed Delta Center. For tickets and more information, click HERE.

Monday, July 3 — Day One*Memphis vs. Philadelphia | 5 p.m.*Utah vs. Oklahoma City | 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 5 — Day Two*Memphis vs. Oklahoma City | 5 p.m.*Utah vs. Philadelphia | 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 6 — Day Three*Oklahoma City vs. Philadelphia | 5 p.m.*Utah vs. Memphis | 7 p.m.

While Jazz Nation is hyped to witness the three rookies in action on the court, it is possible that not all of them will debut simultaneously.&nbsp;

George is the most likely to see action, having gone through practices with the team late last week. While there has definitely been an adjustment to the pro game, George is taking it all in stride, one smile and joke at a time.&nbsp;

"The main difference is no school work. … It's just straight basketball," he said with a laugh. "But everything has to be sharp, everything you're doing has to be with intention. … You have to have a plan, and that's what I've been learning getting reps."

He also mentioned how a late-season ankle injury at Baylor turned the tide on a stellar freshman campaign. He came out of the gates firing but never fully recovered from the damage — and when combined with his added weight, wasn't the player he was used to being.&nbsp;

"In high school, I was 190 pounds, that's where I'm at now," George said. "In college, I was around 210-215 pounds throughout the season. During the season, you've got to make sure you maintain your body and recover. … You're not able to get as much cardio, so my playing weight was around 215."

But now that he's back down to his original weight, George said he feels stronger, quicker, and bouncier — a welcome sight for the Jazz.&nbsp;

"I feel lighter, being able to cut faster, get faster downhill, those are the main differences I see," George said. "I'm playing above the rim, I'm able to get higher now. … The change of weight will be good for me."

While George is roaring to go, Jazz Nation may have to wait until Vegas — hopefully — to see both Hendricks and Sensabaugh debut.&nbsp;

They both came through the draft process with minor tweaks, issues Utah doesn't consider severe but doesn't want to take a chance on making worse.&nbsp;

Hendricks was held out of both practices due to a right hamstring strain suffered early in the pre-draft process. Still, the Jazz had no reservations making him the No. 9 overall pick and list the injury maintenance as more precautionary than anything.&nbsp;

"I tweaked my hamstring, but I mean, now I feel great," Hendricks said during Monday's introductory press conference. "I just had a workout by myself and there was no pain at all. I would love to play in Summer League, but we're gonna take it a day at a time. … But I feel amazing right now."

Sensabaugh is still recovering from a knee injury that ended his freshman campaign at Ohio State and required surgery that caused him to miss nearly the entire pre-draft process. While he is feeling good and ready to go, the Jazz don't want to take the chance of him coming back too soon as he didn't practice with the team the past week.&nbsp;

"I'm good now," he said with a smile on Monday. "I've been obviously working on it for the past three months, but I'm feeling good. … I'm just kind of taking it day by day right now, not kind of looking too far into the future, but I'm ready for anything."

Regardless of which rookies play in the Salt Lake City Summer League, there is still plenty for Jazz Nation to root for as Ochai Agbaji headlines the group.&nbsp;

After making a splash at the end of last season, where he averaged 13.7 points over the final 23 games — including a career-high 28 against Denver in the final home game — Agbaji enters Summer League with the chance for an expanded role.

"The confidence that I'm bringing from last year and those last 25 games that I played, it's just kind of like stepping into a new role," he said. "I'm just getting comfortable with that. … Just being that leader to these guys, and then carrying that over to the real squad."

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"Just Straight Basketball" | Led by George and Agbaji, Jazz Ready For SLC Summer League

Utah's run of six consecutive postseason trips has come to an end.&nbsp;

Dealing with a rash of injuries late in the season, the Jazz ran out of energy in the fourth quarter and fell 114-98 to Oklahoma City on Thursday night. With the loss, Utah was eliminated from the play-in tournament.

“That was a hard game,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. "We were down a lot of bodies. … That’s true, but one thing we won’t ever do is make excuses. I thought our team played really hard. … they really tried to execute on both ends of the floor.”

With point guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Collin Sexton out nursing multiple injuries, Utah turned to Kris Dunn. In his first start this season, Dunn finished with 22 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, flirting with a triple-double for most of the second half.&nbsp;

Dunn has proven to be a valuable veteran signing, turning two 10-day contracts into a multi-year deal. He's more than lived up to the signing, being the veteran presence the bench has needed with numerous injuries to the team since the All-Star break. 

Arguably the most shorthanded the Jazz have been all season, Kelly Olynyk was the lone starter left from Utah's opening day five. Even without his running mates, Olynyk was sensational for the Jazz on Thursday night, living up to the high praise Hardy had for his veteran big man.&nbsp;

"Kelly has been an unsung hero for us this year," Hardy said. "He's tough and loves to play basketball. … He does all those little things. He's been huge for us, he deserves more credit than he's gotten."

After his performance against the Thunder, it's safe to say that Olynyk get the credit he deserves. He finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists, falling two assists shy of recording Utah's first triple-double since Carlos Boozer accomplished the feat on Feb. 13, 2008.

Despite being shorthanded, the Jazz wouldn't use that as an excuse as they got off to a good start.&nbsp;

Back-to-back dunks by Udoka Azubuike gave Utah an early 8-5 lead three minutes in, but Oklahoma City answered with a 10-4 run as Jaylin Williams knocked down back-to-back threes.

The Jazz would later cut the deficit to one following a Dunn three, but Oklahoma City answered again, this time with a 7-0 run. Utah responded with a 5-0 run of its own, aided by a Simone Fontecchio three, but Isaiah Joe hit a three at the buzzer for the Thunder.&nbsp;

After buckets by Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji cut the deficit to six early in the quarter, Oklahoma City seized control over the next few minutes. Another three by Joe capped a 13-4 run as Utah's deficit grew to 15 midway through the second.&nbsp;

A Luka Samanic three stopped the bleeding, and the teams would exchange buckets for the next few minutes. Utah then made its move at the 3:05 mark, ending the half on a 14-2 run as Olynyk finished with six points during that span. 

While the offense found a rhythm, it came on the heels of Utah's defense. The switch to a zone interrupted Oklahoma City's rhythm, allowing the Jazz to push the tempo on offense.&nbsp;

Agbaji's bucket on Utah's opening possession cut their deficit to one, the closest they'd been since midway through the first. The teams would then change buckets for the next few minutes before the Thunder gained some separation following a quick 6-0 run.&nbsp;

The Jazz would again battle back, going on a 14-8 run as Juan Toscano-Anderson's deep two made it a one-point game with 3:33 remaining in the quarter.&nbsp;

However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the answer Oklahoma City needed. He scored seven straight for the Thunder as they ended the third on a 9-2 run to seize the momentum heading to the fourth.&nbsp;

Riding high from the close of the third, Oklahoma City stayed hot to start the fourth as they went on a 10-0 run just two minutes into the final 12.&nbsp;

Utah didn't go away as Johnny Juzang had one of the best spurts of his rookie season when he scored seven straight points to cut the deficit to 11 with 9:11 remaining, forcing a Thunder timeout.&nbsp;

However, that was the closest the Jazz would get as Oklahoma City reeled off a 13-5 run over the next three minutes, cruising to the finish.&nbsp;

“I really feel like this game in some ways is kind of a microcosm of our season,” Hardy said. “It’ll separate they people who only look at numbers and those who actually watch. … Anybody who’s paid attention this season and watched the team play, watched this team compete, the way they’ve handled all of it and represented themselves and this community is really special. I couldn’t be more proud of the team. … This one hurts for sure.”

Agbaji finished with 13 points, while Azubuike added 12 points and seven rebounds. Fontecchio was a nice spark off the bench with 11 points and three rebounds.&nbsp;

Utah will finish its home schedule on Saturday when they host the Nuggets — tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. MT.

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"This One Hurts" | Utah Eliminated From Postseason Following Loss To Oklahoma City

Jeremy Rincon

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Highlights: Kris Dunn – 22 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds

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Highlights: Thunder 114 | Jazz 98

Entering the final three games of the regular season, the Jazz's postseason hopes are on life support. It's a relatively simple scenario, one Utah loss or one Oklahoma City win and the Jazz can start planning their respective summer vacations.&nbsp;

Utah will have a chance to stave off elimination for at least one more game when they host the Thunder in a massive showdown on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.&nbsp;

What's made the Jazz so entertaining all season long is that they've grown into one of the league's most resilient and battle-tested teams. With their fate hanging in the balance — and the odds continuously stacked against them with injury problems — Utah has refused to back down from anyone.&nbsp;

"Our guys, they prepare to go out and win every night," Hardy told reporters following Tuesday's heartbreaking loss to Los Angeles. "No matter what, they have had the attitude of going out all season and making the most of their opportunity. … They never knew when those opportunities would come, or when they would stop coming. The players have continued to play hard and pull for each other."

Make no mistake, Hardy deserves a lot of credit for the team overachieving this season based on preseason projections. But if you ask him, it's not overachieving for the Jazz — he always believed there was something special about 'Team 49.'

"I'm with these guys every day. … I see how they interact with each other, I see how they prepare," he said. "They're preparing every night to win, they're not just coming out here to play. … They are locked in in the film sessions, they ask questions in the film sessions. They're fully engaged in walkthroughs and shootarounds. … The way they talk to each other in the locker room, the way they carry themselves."

Although Utah has stayed alive in its push for the postseason, the Jazz have been snakebitten by the injury bug as of late.&nbsp;

Leading scorer Lauri Markkanen has only played in four of Utah's last 10 games, dealing with a left hand injury. Jordan Clarkson has missed the last month with a sprained finger on his left hand, and Collin Sexton missed 18 straight games before returning two nights ago against the Lakers.&nbsp;

Yet none of that has stopped the Jazz from competing night in and night out, and Hardy expects the same over the final three games of the year.

"I'm not surprised at all because that's their intent every night. … We've had an attitude all season that when people are out or lineups change, it's just about making the most of your opportunity," he said.&nbsp;

STATSUtah (36-43, 22-17 home / No. 12 Western Conference)Offense*117.1 Points Per Game (No. 6 in NBA)*115.6 Offensive Rating (No. 8 in NBA)Defense*117.8 Points Per Game (No. 24 in NBA)*116.0 Defensive Rating (No. 24 in NBA)Individual*Lauri Markkanen: 25.6 points | 8.6 rebounds | 1.9 assists | 39.2% 3P-shooting*Collin Sexton: 14.3 points | 2.9 assists | 2.0 rebounds | 39.3% 3P-shooting*Kelly Olynyk: 12.2 points | 6.1 rebounds | 3.6 assists | 39.1% 3P-shooting*Talen Horton-Tucker (Last 10 Games): 20.2 points | 6.3 assists | 5.2 rebounds

Oklahoma City (38-42, 15-25 away / No. 10 Western Conference)Offense*116.7 Points Per Game (No. 8 in NBA)*113.7 Offensive Rating (No. 21 in NBA)Defense*116.4 Points Per Game (No. 19 in NBA)*113.2 Defensive Rating (No. 11 in NBA)Individual*Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 31.4 points | 5.4 assists | 4.8 rebounds*Josh Giddey: 16.6 points | 7.9 rebounds | 6.1 assists*Jalen Williams: 14.1 points | 4.5 rebounds | 3.3 assists | 35.8% 3P-shooting

KEY MATCHUP*Ochai Agbaji vs. Jalen Williams— After getting off to slow starts in their rookie seasons, Agbaji and Williams have really emerged over the second half of the season — even more post All-Star break. Agbaji is averaging 14.8 points on 41.8% from three over his past 10 games, while Williams is putting up 17.6 points on 42.3% shooting from deep over the same span. They also both get the job done defensively, which should make for a really entertaining battle.&nbsp;

INJURY REPORTUtahOUT | Lauri Markkanen (left hand contusion)OUT | Collin Sexton (left hamstring - injury maintenance )OUT | Jordan Clarkson (left hand - fourth finger sprain)OUT | Rudy Gay (low back soreness)OUT | Walker Kessler (concussion protocol)Oklahoma CityQUESTIONABLE | Luguentz Dort (Right Shoulder; Strain)OUT | Chet Holmgren (Right Foot; Surgery)OUT |&nbsp; Aleksej Pokusevski (Left Knee; Contusion)OUT | Kenrich Williams (Left Wrist; Scapholunate Ligament Surgery)

BROADCAST INFORMATIONTime:&nbsp;7:00 p.m. MTLocation: Vivint Arena |Salt Lake City, UTTV:&nbsp;AT&T SportsNetRadio:&nbsp;The Zone Sports Network

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"They Are Locked In" | With Its Postseason Hopes On The Line, Utah Hosts Oklahoma City On Thursday

Although Sunday night didn’t go the way the Jazz hoped, Utah continued to show the resiliency they’ve become known for throughout the season.

Despite trailing heavily for the entire game, the Jazz made things interesting in the second half on more than one occasion. Ultimately, Utah ran out of steam and fell 129-119 to Oklahoma City.

“I think, in general, we played three quarters of pretty good basketball,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We put ourselves in a big hole to start the game. … It took us too long as a team to find a rhythm of the reads of the game and where the ball needed to go. As the game went on, our team settled in, the ball moved around, and we generated a lot of really good looks.”

After suffering a right thumb injury against San Antonio on Feb. 25, Jordan Clarkson returned to the lineup on Sunday night in spectacular fashion. He finished with a double-double of 18 points and a career-high 13 assists. He also added four rebounds and two steals.

Although it took him a while to find his rhythm after missing the past two games, once he did, he showed how far his game has come this season. Playing at a different pace in the second half, he began attacking relentlessly as the Jazz were able to cut into the deficit.

With Lauri Markkanen out due to low back soreness, Walker Kessler and Kelly Olynyk picked up the slack down low for their 7-foot teammate.

Kessler was once again his dominant self on the defensive end, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, all while altering multiple others in the paint. Olynyk was just as good, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and a much-needed five assists.

It was another slow start for the Jazz on Sunday night, as Oklahoma City jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showing no rust in his return.

Utah would try to battle back, but they couldn’t find any rhythm as the Thunder were clearly playing with extra energy and effort following the return of their star. The positive was that Simone Fontecchio continued his solid play for this road trip when he checked in late in the first and immediately made an impact with a corner three.

Another Fontecchio bucket to start the second cut the deficit to 13, but that was as close as Utah would get the rest of the quarter.

This time it was Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams’ turns to take over for Oklahoma City. With Giddey controlling the offense and Williams doing everything defensively, the Jazz struggled to keep pace as the Thunder slowly pulled away.

Unable to make a dent in the deficit, Utah’s chances of a comeback were dwindling as they found themselves down 22 at the midway point of the quarter.

But then it was Clarkson’s turn to take over.

Beginning with a bucket in the lane, Clarkson began to play with ferocity as he refused to be denied at the point of attack. He easily got to the rim and scored or found open teammates, helping the Jazz to a 16-4 run that trimmed the deficit to 10 with four minutes left in the third.

However, the Thunder responded with a 9-2 run.

Utah trailed 101-84 heading to the fourth.

After exchanging buckets to begin the final 12 minutes, the Jazz refused to fully go away. Threes by Johnny Juzang and Talen Horton-Tucker capped off an 8-3 run as Utah stayed within striking distance — 12 points — with just over eight to play.

But Giddey’s personal 7-2 run had the Jazz down 17 again with less than six to play, and Utah could not make a serious run the rest of the way.

How we play is what we can control,” Hardy said. “We have to do a better job as a group starting the game, understanding how we are going to be guarded and how to read the game. … If you put yourselves into a big hole, it’s hard to climb back, but the intent of the team was good.”

Agbaji and Horton-Tucker added 14 and 11 points, respectively, while Kris Dunn came off the bench to finish with 17 points, and Juzang added 11.

The Jazz will continue their road trip when they face Dallas on Tuesday — tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MT.

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"The Intent Of The Team Was Good" | Clarkson's Career-High Not Enough As Utah Comes Up Short Against Thunder

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Highlights: Jordan Clarkson – 18 points, 13 assists, 4 rebounds

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