Utah
Utah Jazz vs Cleveland Cavaliers recap and final score: Donovan Mitchell came back to town
The Utah Jazz took on the Cleveland Cavaliers and had a chance to take on Donovan Mitchell once again post-trade. It’s now been long enough since the trade that this is probably not a story anymore. The major reason this isn’t a story anymore is that the Jazz have finally moved on by focusing on the best route for the team, getting a star in the draft.
Yes, the Jazz got beat badly in this one but they’re on the route that leads to a superstar in the draft. The Cavaliers are on a different end of the NBA spectrum. They have two top-5 picks in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. With those two picks, they then made the big trade for Donovan Mitchell. Utah is at the beginning stages of a similar rebuild, they just don’t have the elite talent yet.
In this one, you could see the difference between the two teams. Utah has some nice young prospects who could be a good fit next to a superstar, but they’re not likely the stars leading the Jazz to a championship. Kyle Filipowski was probably the most impressive player for the Jazz. In this one, he was 7/13 from the field and 4/8 from three. He scored 18 points with 13 rebounds. What’s interesting about Filipowski is how well he is playing at the 4-spot at times next to Walker Kessler. Yes, Utah struggled in the second half in this one but showed some impressive defense in the first half. Yeah, it’s just a half, but considering how terrible Utah’s defense has been this year, it’s great to see. If Filipowski can play good defense at the 4-spot and then also play at this level on offense, they have themselves a real piece for the future.
Walker Kessler continues to take threes to develop that aspect of his game. In the games the Jazz have done this, it hasn’t really worked. Tonight, Kessler was 1/8 from three. In his last five games, Kessler has shot 3/26, which is not super encouraging. It doesn’t mean he can’t. There are some players who have become a stretch center after being mostly inside players, but it might not be a part of Kessler’s future. Time will tell. If he can become a good stretch-5, it can turn Kessler into a very dynamic player. The other reason it’s not something to bet much on is that Kessler shoots just 54% from the free-throw line.
There wasn’t much else from this to take, other than that Brice Sensabaugh continues to have some really nice shooting nights. Sensabaugh shot 4/7 from the field and 2⁄3 from three. For the season, Sensabaugh is shooting 40% from three. His shooting is really impactful at times but if he can contribute in other areas of the floor, such as defense, he can become a real rotation player.
Utah
Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say
SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.
The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.
According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.
SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.
Anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop:
‘History deserves honesty,’ anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop
Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.
Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.
Utah
Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah
Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.
Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.
Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.
There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.
However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.
“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters.
The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified.
Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead.
The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The incident remains under investigation.
With Post wires.
Utah
Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming
The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.
Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.
But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”
“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”
Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz
Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career.
During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.
It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.
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