The Jazz improve to 4-1 in the preseason, beating the Sacramento Kings in an electrifying clutch win with a final score of 117-114.

What a game. This one was a nail-biter to the end that gave us a look at what the young guys can do in a down-to-the-wire situation. Keyonte George led the Jazz in scoring with 24 while Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh contributed to some clutch shots in the fourth quarter.

Utah distanced themselves with a noteworthy 3-point variance against Sacramento, nailing 14 triples to their 9. It’s especially impressive considering it was against the team with the 4th most 3-point makes last season.

Without Isaiah Collier, the Jazz missed a primary ball handler that the Jazz could run with in non-Keyonte minutes. It was indicative in the result; the Jazz piling for 24 team turnovers once the final buzzer rang.

Don’t take this Tuesday night preseason game for what it looks like on the surface. In fact, this game was just as entertaining as a regular season game. The first half alone has 17 lead changes between the two teams — the Jazz having as small a lead as 6 before clinching the game in the final stretch.

Game Notes

Keyonte George catches fire early

Keyonte George returned to action tonight after missing Saturday’s matchup in San Antonio due to a mild knee sprain. It goes without question that the Jazz missed his willingness to take shots and how he creates for himself. George lights up the Kings in the first quarter, recording 8 points and 1 assist off 3-4 FG to lead the Kings 31-30. He found his groove in a majority of ways, starting off with a smooth drive to the rim to go along with two triples. The second quarter was just as explosive, pairing another lay-in and floater bank to nail a 12-point half. Hopefully Utah can find more and more ways to get him in a position to be the defense’s primary attention on the floor.

Patty Mills makes Utah Jazz debut

It was only in August that the Jazz acquired Patty Mills on a $3.3M deal for the sake of a locker room veteran to mentor this young Utah Jazz team. After missing Utah’s first 4 preseason games due to rest, the Aussie checked in to tonight’s game at the 3:25 mark in the first quarter. Patty Mills nailed his first bucket as a Jazzman on a lead-taking layup assisted by Jordan Clarkson in the second quarter. It wasn’t the only Clarkson to Mills point of the night. Late in the third quarter Jordan Clarkson found him beyond-the-arc for his second bucket. His minutes on the floor are going to be exactly what the Jazz need in terms of leadership.

John Collins makes a revelation on the bench

While his contract has always made him an interesting gamble for the Jazz, he was nothing short of great for the role he played off the bench against Sacramento. He contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks in his 20 minutes on the court. He was aggressive, driving and getting in the lane. Not only that, he had flashes of improved defense that you’d expect from an 81st percentile shot-blocker. He contested a few shots around the rim to make Sabonis’ life a tad more difficult around the rim. Collins’ new role off the bench allows him to focus on more of the little things rather than trying to replace Kessler as an interior presence.

Next Up:

The Jazz complete their preseason tour on October 18th to face the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled to be at 8 PM MT.