Utah
Thunder beat Jazz despite late-game challenge blunder
When the officials blew their whistle with 12.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter of a tight game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday night, signaling that the ball had gone out of bounds, there was confusion on the faces of the officials.
Whose ball was it?
Collin Sexton had driven into the paint, drawn two defenders and passed to his left to a cutting Walker Kessler.
It was a great play. Unfortunately, Chet Holmgren bailed out on Sexton once he saw what was developing and blocked Kessler’s shot.
Once the ball was loose, it landed in the middle of a cacophony of hands and bodies, and by the time it popped out and sailed out of bounds, the officials weren’t sure who touched it last.
Due to the confusion, they called a jump ball.
Jazz coach Will Hardy looked down the bench at George Rodman, the member of his staff in charge of determining whether a challenge is worthwhile.
Rodman believed it was off the Thunder, but Hardy saw that the Jazz only had one timeout left and then looked at Kessler.
“George had decent confidence in it, but I’ve seen George way more adamant with me to challenge than that play,” Hardy said.
“In the moment with Walker on the court, I just looked at Walk and said, ‘Win the jump.’ I had faith that he would win it.”
But to most everyone’s surprise, in the final seconds before play resumed, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault signaled for a timeout and a challenge.
“Their own guys were saying, ‘No, no, no don’t challenge it,’” Kessler said. “I think they knew it was not their ball.”
Apparently, not everyone knew because Daigneault was willing to take the risk. Although there was a small chance that on replay the officials still wouldn’t be able to determine who last touched the ball, which would result in an unsuccessful challenge and the Thunder losing a timeout, any successful determination would mean that the Thunder would keep their timeout.
But if the determination was that it was in fact Jazz ball, the Jazz would have possession and a chance to cut the lead to just a single point. And that’s exactly what happened.
“After review, the replay-center official overturns the call on the floor from a jump ball to Utah possession,” official James Williams said.
“Because the call on the floor was changed, the challenge by Oklahoma City is successful. They maintain their timeout and they still have a challenge remaining. Utah ball, 12.3 on the game clock.”
On the ensuing possession, had the Jazz been able to hit a 3-pointer, this could be a completely different story — one about a massive blunder of a challenge that changed the tide of a game for the Thunder when it seemed like they had the game in hand.
But after the challenge, OKC was very lucky that 39.3% 3-point shooter Simone Fontecchio missed a wide open look.
“If you had shown me a snapshot of the look that Simo got I would have signed up for that,” Hardy said.
“(The Thunder) kind of blew up the initial part of the action. Collin threw the ball in quick to Jordan (Clarkson), but Jordan had great recognition of the situation and Simo sprang into space and he’s a good shooter and he got a good look.”
But Fontecchio missed.
Clarkson got the rebound and missed a mid-range bank shot, but by that time it was over. Holmgren hit a free throw on the other end and then time expired.
The Utah Jazz’s six-game win streak was ended with a 134-129 loss to the Thunder.
Utah
Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
_____
Utah
911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas
CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.
LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.
Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.
The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.
MORE | Murder-Suicide
Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.
10:33 a.m. — Call 1
After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.
Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.
“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”
11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3
As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.
“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”
11:26 a.m. — Call 4
Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.
“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”
She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.
Police indicated officers were on the way.
2:26 p.m. — Call 5
Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.
Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.
“They found a note on the door.”
2:35 p.m. — Call 6
Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.
“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”
A dispatcher responded:
“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”
2:36 p.m. — Call 7
Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:
“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”
2:39 p.m. — Call 8
Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.
“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”
He repeats the details he knows for the second time.
3:13 p.m. — Call 9
Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.
“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”
Dispatch responded:
“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”
4:05 p.m. — Call 10
More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.
“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”
The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.
Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.
The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.
5:23 p.m. — Call 11
Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.
“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”
She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.
Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference
Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.
The investigation remains ongoing.
______
Utah
Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”
Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.
“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.
Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.
“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.
2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:
- Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
- Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
- Does it support a ban from classrooms?
Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.
“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.
MORE | Utah State Legislature:
Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.
“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.
“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.
The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
___
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making