Talen Horton-Tucker

Ryan Kostecka

It's not about how you start but how you finish — that's the best way to describe Talen Horton-Tucker's season.&nbsp;

After firmly entrenching himself as a part of Will Hardy's rotation in the early parts of the season, his playing time had deteriorated as the calendar flipped from December to January — including straight DNPs as the trade deadline approached in early February. Guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Malik Beasley were getting the majority of the minutes heading into the trade deadline, and both eventually got traded.&nbsp;

For most 22-year-olds in the league, those struggles would have easily derailed a once-promising year. But Horton-Tucker isn't most 22-year-olds.&nbsp;

"He understands what is real and what is not," Hardy said. "He wants to play more, he wants to be in the rotation, he wants to be a key player. At that age, to have that level of maturity to understand that you might not always get what you want, and that you have to keep working. … That's a credit to Talen."

That understanding and maturity culminated in one of the best stretches of Horton-Tucker's four-year career. When the team was&nbsp; riddled with injuries, he took over the starting point guard role and ran with it.&nbsp;

He scored double figures in 18 of his final 24 games, averaging 17.9 points and 5.0 rebounds from February through April. Overall, he posted career-highs in points (10.1), assists (3.8), and rebounds (3.2) for the season.

One of the best games of his season&nbsp; came on Mar. 11 when the Jazz were visiting Charlotte. With Utah already down its top two scoring guards and All-Star Lauri Markkanen having his worst shooting performance of the season, Horton-Tucker took it upon himself to lead the Jazz to victory.&nbsp;

He nearly broke Utah's triple-double curse when he finished with 37 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.&nbsp;

"Very clearly, the story of the game is Talen Horton-Tucker. … All the hard work showed tonight," Hardy said postgame. "The way that he's gone about this season, from a work standpoint, from a patient standpoint, competing and controlling what you can control every day, like that's what we want to be about. … He embodies that."

Two weeks later, Horton-Tucker set a new career-high when he scored 41 points in Utah's victory over San Antonio.&nbsp;

In his lone season with the Jazz, Hardy made it known that Horton-Tucker was a point guard, and they trained him as such.&nbsp;

That belief paid dividends, not just for the Jazz but for Horton-Tucker's psyche.&nbsp;

More than the scoring and the shooting numbers, the most impressive part of his growth was how he turned a perceived weakness into a strength. The point guard, who once struggled to play under control and at a proper pace, averaged 6.5 assists per game over the final months of the year.

"I'm not trying to be, like, cocky, I just feel like I can do it more," Horton-Tucker said. "It's not the only time I've been able to do that. The reps that I've been getting here, I hadn't got those in my career yet. … So, being able to get them here, I've got to take advantage of it and try to turn it into something."

Horton-Tucker's perseverance showed through after what can be deemed a season of growth with highs and lows. He stuck with it and rewarded Hardy's faith in him with a career year — and now comes a crucial offseason.&nbsp;

"I am incredibly hard on Talen, I have been all season. … That is because I believe in him," Hardy said. "He has not always gotten what he wanted, he's had moments where he was out of the rotation during this season, and he's never complained, he's worked really, really hard every day. … And he's taken hard coaching from me. I'm just really happy to see him have some success."

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"I Can Do It" | Season Of Career-Highs Shows Horton-Tucker's Growth As A Point Guard

Jeremy Rincon

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PHOTOS | Team 49

As the pressure has mounted late in the season, Utah has proven that they're a team that will play for the full 48 minutes. And if the game just happens to go longer, the Jazz have also proven to be ready for that.&nbsp;

Utah's resiliency was on full display Tuesday night against the Lakers. In a pivotal showdown with massive postseason implications, Utah used a late 10-0 run to force overtime — but the Jazz couldn't pull off the upset and fell 135-133 to Los Angeles on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

"The guys hung tough. … I'm very proud of our team," head coach Will Hardy said. "They (Los Angeles) made big plays, we made big plays as well. … The margins are very thin in an NBA game when you play a good team. We're one shot away by either team from feeling way different than how we feel right now."

When speaking with media following shootaround, Talen Horton-Tucker was asked if there's any revenge aspect to Tuesday's game against his former team. The soft-spoken Horton-Tucker responded with a simple no, stating that the game with high stakes was all business. 

After a slow start in which he forced the action a bit, Horton-Tucker showed off his growth as he settled in and allowed the game to come to him. He responded by finishing with 23 points and seven assists, adding four rebounds and two steals.&nbsp;

With Los Angeles's length and physicality seemingly bothering him on the perimeter, Horton-Tucker refused to settle for fadeaway jumpers. Using his strength and length, he attacked the rim at will and made a living at the free throw line, where he finished 9-of-13.&nbsp;

Days after Hardy referred to Kelly Olynyk as an unsung hero for the team this season, Olynyk turned in one of his best performances of the year on Tuesday night.&nbsp;

Despite defending LeBron James and Anthony Davis at pivotal moments, he did some of everything for the Jazz. He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, 4-for-4 from deep, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.&nbsp;

It's no coincidence that each time the Jazz made a run to get back into the game, Olynyk was on the court. His calming presence helped settle Utah down in the most pivotal moments, allowing them to nearly pull out the upset.

With the stakes high before tipoff, you could feel the tension in the arena — but the Jazz were up to the challenge early.&nbsp;

A three by Agbaji capped Utah's 5-0 run less than a minute in, but Los Angeles responded with a pair of threes, including one by former Jazzman Jarred Vanderbilt. Utah would late retake the lead following an Olynyk, up 14-10 near the midway point of the first.&nbsp;

Los Angeles, behind the play of Anthony Davis, battled back with an 8-0 run as Davis was the only scorer. Another Agbaji three would later cut Utah's deficit to one, but the Lakers later opened up a six-point advantage late in the quarter.&nbsp;

However, Simone Fontecchio kept the Jazz alive in the final minutes. He knocked down a pair of threes, including one with 10 seconds left, as Utah closed on a 5-0 run.&nbsp;

After missing the past 18 games, Collin Sexton gave the Jazz a one-point lead following a pull-up jumper from the elbow over former Jazzman Malik Beasley. But the lead was short-lived as LeBron James found a rhythm, knocking down a three on the ensuing possession as Los Angeles answered with an 8-0 run.

But right when it looked as if the Lakers would pull away, the Jazz kept coming back. Luka Samanic knocked down a three, kickstarting a 7-3 run as Utah pulled with three midway through the quarter.

The teams would exchange buckets for the next few minutes before Los Angeles seized control. The Lakers went on a 17-8 run before Horton-Tucker knocked down a free throw to close the quarter.&nbsp;

Utah refused to back down despite the Lakers stretching their lead to 14 following an Austin Reaves three one minute into the second half.&nbsp;

Horton-Tucker knocked down a pair of free throws as the Jazz rallied with an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to four with just over eight to go. Horton-Tucker scored six points during the run, while Samanic knocked down another three.&nbsp;

A 10-2 run by Los Angeles put them back in front by 12, but the Jazz answered again. Damian Jones knocked down a pair of threes while Olynyk sunk a technical free throw for a 7-0 run, forcing a Lakers timeout with four minutes left in the third.&nbsp;

The teams would exchange buckets for the rest of the quarter as Sexton began to heat up with back-to-back jumpers to end the third.&nbsp;

Utah trailed 97-93 heading to the fourth.

The start of the fourth quarter brought Vivint Arena alive as three straight buckets gave Utah its first lead since the opening minutes. Los Angeles would respond with a quick 5-0 run, but a Juan Toscano-Anderson bucket cut the deficit to one just three minutes in.&nbsp;

The Lakers began to pull away, taking an eight-point advantage following a James bucket with four minutes left. But Agbaji answered with a corner three, giving the Jazz hope in the final minutes.&nbsp;

Trailing by seven with two minutes remaining, Utah closed regulation on a 10-0 run as Damian Jones knocked down a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to force overtime.&nbsp;

The final five minutes were reminiscent of two heavyweight boxers exchanging haymakers, with neither falling.&nbsp;

An Olynyk three-point play started the scoring just three seconds in, but James tied it up with a deep three on the following possession. Utah would later take a three-point lead on another Olynyk three with 1:39 remaining, but the Lakers answered with four straight to take a one-point lead with less than a minute to go.&nbsp;

Horton-Tucker tied it with a free throw, but James had the final answer for Los Angeles — hitting a shot in the lane with 27 seconds remaining. The Jazz had one last chance, but Horton-Tucker's fadeaway from the elbow was off the mark.&nbsp;

"I'm not surprised at all," Hardy said when asked about his team's ability to fight against the odds. "We try to empower everybody to play really hard play within our structure. … They just continue to compete, pull together, and the crowd feeds off their energy. We're not always the prettiest team, but the energy and the way our team competes every night is infectious."

Agbaji had one of the best games of his rookie season, finishing with 22 points (4-of-8 from deep), four rebounds, and three assists. Jones had his best night in a Utah uniform, finishing with 16 points (3-of-3 from three) and eight rebounds. Sexton chipped in 15 points (14 shots in 16 minutes), while Samanic added 12 points.&nbsp;

Utah continues its homestand on Thursday when they face Oklahoma City — tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.

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"Play Really Hard" | Utah Nearly Pulls Off Dramatic Comeback, Falls Just Short In Overtime Loss To Los Angeles

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Highlights: Lakers 135 | Jazz 133 (OT)

Jazz G Talen Horton-Tucker meets with the media following shootaround on Tuesday and talks about his improvement during the season, how defenses have changed against him and facing his old team in the Lakers.

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Talen Horton-Tucker – ‘Continuing to find consistency is the most important thing for me’

While there are no moral victories in the NBA — especially for a team battling for a spot in the postseason — Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center came close for the Jazz.&nbsp;

Nearly overcoming a double-digit deficit to have a chance to win it at the buzzer, Utah came up just short in the end and fell 111-110 to Brooklyn.&nbsp;

“Credit to Brooklyn,” head coach Will Hardy said. “A really tough night shooting the ball from the perimeter. On the flip side, I thought our defense was really good tonight. … We did a good job protecting the paint. As usual, the team hangs tough, continues to execute on both ends of the floor.”

Trailing by 19 with just under six minutes to play, Utah looked dead in the water. But this team refused to quit, and the Jazz were nowhere near finished.&nbsp;

Utah reeled off a quick 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 10 with three minutes remaining, but the drama was just beginning. After Spencer Dinwiddie ended the run with a bucket, Horton-Tucker knocked down a pair of free throws and then added another layup to make it a three-point game with 46.8 seconds left.

Brooklyn would knock down some big shots, but the Jazz always answered as Ochai Agbaji’s three made it a two-point game with 11.1 to play. Dinwiddie went 1-for-2 from the line before Horton-Tucker answered with a pair of free throws, cutting the deficit to one with 7.2 to play.&nbsp;

After Seth Curry missed two free throws, Utah had a chance to win it, but Kelly Olynyk’s shot at the buzzer was off.

“I thought the guys dug in and stuck with it when they very easily could’ve folded at different times in the game. … Really proud of them,” Hardy said. “Lauri got the rebound but is sort of falling down, so he throws it to Kelly, and we are playing 4-on-5. I just watched it again and there was nobody to throw the ball to in that situation with Lauri so far behind the play.”

Ever since assuming the starting point guard role nearly a month ago, Horton-Tucker has shown the ability to positively affect the game in many ways — and Sunday afternoon was more of the same.&nbsp;

He got off to a blistering start with eight points in the first few minutes and then came alive again late in the fourth when he scored 11 points over the final 3:31 to give the Jazz a chance late.&nbsp;

Overall, he finished with 32 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. He shot 12-of-25 from the field, 3-for-7 from deep, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.&nbsp;

After missing the past two games — and five of the past seven — while dealing with a left hand contusion, Lauri Markkanen returned on Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn.&nbsp;

Although it took him a while to find a rhythm, made even more difficult by the physical play of the Nets, Markkanen showed why he’s considered a legitimate All-NBA candidate. He overcame a slow start to finish with 23 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

However, Markkanen did make NBA history when he drilled a three with just one minute left in the third quarter. He became the first player in league history to knock down 200 threes and throw down 100 dunks in a season.&nbsp;

As Utah looked to reincorporate Markkanen early, the Nets made it their mission to prevent the 7-footer from finding an early rhythm. With so much attention focused on him, Horton-Tucker found success as he scored eight points in the opening minutes to give Utah a 10-9 lead early.&nbsp;

After Brooklyn took the lead, a Horton-Tucker free throw cut the deficit to two with just over four minutes to go in the quarter. But Brooklyn took over from there.&nbsp;

Beginning with a Royce O’Neale — yes, that Royce O’Neale — three, the Nets knocked down threes on three consecutive possessions as they ended the first on a 13-2 run.&nbsp;

After back-to-back buckets by the Nets to open up the second, Utah’s deficit reached 16 just one minute in.&nbsp;

But beginning with a Kris Dunn bucket, the Jazz settled down and got back into the game with good play on both ends of the court. Utah rattled off a 12-4 run, with six straight the end it, cut the deficit to 39-31 midway through the second.&nbsp;

The teams would exchange buckets for the remand of the half, with Markkanen’s floater in the lane making it a six-point game in the final minutes. But Brooklyn answered with a 5-0 run, including a three by Yuta Watanabe to close the quarter.&nbsp;

The Jazz trailed 53-42 at the break.&nbsp;

A quick 6-0 run by Utah cut the deficit to seven just 90 seconds into the third quarter, but the Nets answered immediately.&nbsp;

Brooklyn attacked the rim relentlessly and finished through contact, resulting in multiple and-ones as they reeled off an 18-7 run to lead by 18 midway through the third.&nbsp;

A Markkanen three with one minute left in the quarter cut the deficit to 15, but Brooklyn responded with a Cam Thomas bucket on the following possession.&nbsp;

Utah trailed 85-68 heading to the fourth.

With the deficit reaching 23 early in the quarter, Utah wasn’t done yet.&nbsp;

Beginning with an Agbaji and-one and ending with a Luka Samanic three, the Jazz reeled off a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 13 with just over eight to pay. But Brooklyn answered with an 8-1 run as Cameron Johnson knocked down four free throws during that span. 

A Dunn three ended the run and kicked off one final push for Utah.

“I loved the competitiveness,” Hardy said postgame.

Agbaji finished with 19 points and two rebounds, while Olynyk added seven points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Dunn chipped in 13 points and three assists.&nbsp;

Utah returns to Salt Lake City for its final homestand of the season when they host the Lakers on Tuesday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the pivotal matchup.&nbsp;

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"The Team Hangs Tough" | Markkanen Makes History, But Utah's Massive Comeback Comes Up Short

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Highlights: Jazz 110 | Nets 111

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Highlights: Jazz 114 | Celtics 122

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Talen Horton‑Tucker