New Orleans Pelicans 119–120 Utah Jazz: match recap

Match recap

Jaren Jackson's dominant 24-point, 10-rebound double-double and a balanced Jazz attack narrowly outlasted a resilient Pelicans squad, 120-119. Utah's rebounding advantage and superior ball movement offset New Orleans' explosive bench, which poured in 58 points.

Utah controlled the first half with crisp passing (31 assists to New Orleans' 18) and a 42-37 rebounding advantage, built around Jaren Jackson's interior presence. The Pelicans, trailing by double digits early, surged behind Saddiq Bey (20 pts on 5-7 FG) and Jordan Poole (12 pts, 9-10 FT) to cut the deficit to one in the final minute. Zion Williamson's 23 points on 8-11 shooting kept New Orleans close, but the Jazz's 57.1% FG and 37.1% 3P proved too efficient to overcome.

Key factors

• Utah outrebounded New Orleans 42-37 and dished 31 assists to 18, controlling pace and second-chance opportunities.
• The Pelicans' bench erupted for 58 points, led by Bey (20) and Poole (12), but Utah's starters — especially Jackson (24 pts, 10 reb) and George (19 pts, 10 ast) — delivered the advantage in efficiency.
• Utah shot 57.1% from the field and 37.1% from three, compared to New Orleans' 59% FG but 30.8% from deep, capitalizing on volume despite a slight raw FG deficit.

The Analyst's take

The model share (64-36 in Utah's favor) reflects the statistical advantage in rebounding and playmaking, which ultimately decided a one-possession game. New Orleans' bench depth is a real weapon, but they'll need to shore up their three-point shooting (30.8%) to avoid similar close losses. Utah's home-court execution and Jaren Jackson's two-way impact look like early pillars of their season.