The Utah Jazz's struggles continued as they matched their season-long losing streak of eight games with a 126-118 loss at home to the Toronto Raptors last Friday. According to KSL Sports, Jordan Clarkson stood out for the Jazz, scoring 19 points off the bench. Kyle Filipowski contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Lauri Markkanen and Isaiah Collier both added 16 points in the effort.
Despite the loss, rookie Isaiah Collier continued to make his mark by eclipsing Deron Williams as the third-highest assist leader among Jazz rookies. He played a game-high 36 minutes, tallying 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, as reported by KSL. Utah's losing streak mirrors their previous drought in January, when they went 19 days without a win. This time, the Jazz have been on a downward spiral over the last 15 days.
Toronto's victory also snapped their four-game losing streak against the Jazz at the Delta Center. In a surprising turn, Jazz’s 7-foot center, Walker Kessler, was absent from the game. Despite not being listed on the injury report and having a stellar performance against the Raptors earlier in the season, he sat out of the recent matchup. When the teams met in Toronto, Kessler notched 18 points, 25 rebounds, and eight blocks, and he’s been a significant force for Utah this season with averages of 11.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 72.5% from the field, ABC4 reported.
The Jazz aim to break their losing streak with a trip to Minnesota against the Timberwolves today. After that, they will return to the Delta Center for a substantial six-game home stretch starting with a face-off against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow.
