Oscar Tsiebwe was at Salt Lake City Stars practice on Wednesday when he was pulled to the side and told that he’d been called up. The two-way player would be making his Utah Jazz debut in a few hours.

That would be great news on its own, but Wednesday was also Tshiebwe’s 25th birthday, so it served as an excellent birthday present.

Micah Potter, meanwhile, knew he’d be in the Jazz rotation on Wednesday considering the number of injuries and players who would be missing from the Jazz roster for their game against the Denver Nuggets.

But Potter, another two-way player, learned that not only would he be in the rotation, but also that he would be starting for the Jazz — the first start of his career.

Tshiebwe and Potter combined for 25 rebounds Wednesday, both setting career-highs in that category (16 for Potter, nine for Tshiebwe). Despite not having played with the Jazz this season, not having chemistry with the other fully rostered players and not knowing all the nuances of the Jazz’s offensive or defensive schemes, the two were bright spots in the the Jazz’s 122-103 loss to the Nuggets.

Potter, who is in his third year with the Jazz as a two-way player, added nine points, three assists and a block to his game-high 16 rebounds and is someone Jazz head coach Will Hardy said he can always rely on to make a good decision and play hard.

“Micah is super solid,” Hardy said. “Micah is a really good player. His physicality when rebounding is good, he makes quick decisions with the ball, he is pretty good at assembling his feet and getting his shot off, but when he doesn’t, he usually just gets to the next action quickly…Micah is somebody who knows his strengths at this point in his career, and he doesn’t go outside of them very much. He keeps the game pretty simple.”

Then there’s Tshiebwe, who is a favorite of everyone on the team. Though soft spoken, Tshiebwe makes sure to say something to every teammate and coach in an attempt to brighten their day, and he accomplishes that mission time and time again.

If you ask anyone who has met Tshiebwe what they think of him, they immediately smile and say how much they love him and talk about how kind he is and how he makes everyone feel good.

“I love everything about Oscar, man. He just makes you feel good. I wish I was more like Oscar,” Hardy said. “He’s one of the sweetest human beings of all time even though he’s one of the more physical people you’ve ever been around. Yeah, I don’t know. He just smiles and gives you a hug and makes you feel good. He’s hard not to like.”

But don’t let Tshiebwe’s smile, soft voice or cheerful disposition make you think that he’s an easy target on the basketball court. Tshiebwe has made life hard for every Jazz and Stars player during practices. He hunts rebounds like his life depends on it and is always willing to do all the grunt work during a game that won’t show up on a stat sheet.

“It’s miserable playing against him,” Potter said. “There’s not one person in the NBA or in the world, at least that I’ve played against, that plays like him.

“He’s relentless. He’s a relentless rebounder. It’s one of those things where you have to just go hit him, but he’s so strong that he’ll hit you back, and still, he’s got like a 7-5 wingspan, so he’s got the length and everything, and it’s unbelievable.”

That dogged play is why Tshiebwe is averaging 16.9 rebounds and 16.1 points with the Stars this year and why he was able to grab nine rebounds in just 15 minutes after a whirlwind of a day on a team he hasn’t played with.

The Jazz were playing without Lauri Markaknen, John Collins (left knee contusion), Jordan Clarkson (plantar fasciitis), Kyle Filipowski (left lower leg inflammation) and lost Drew Eubanks midway through the night with a left knee contusion.

It was going to be an uphill battle against the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets and there were certainly moments when the Jazz looked completely outmatched.

But there were also moments of great competition and fight, and Potter and Tshiebwe were bright spots.

“This job is crazy, like, this is not real life,” Hardy said. “I get to coach basketball every day, I get to be with these guys every day. I love them to death, and they drive me crazy.

“We’re just as dysfunctional as any family. I’m just thankful for this whole thing. It’s like surreal every day. I haven’t gotten used to it and I hope I never do.”

And speaking of something to be thankful for, Markkanen missed Wednesday’s game not because of the knee contusion he suffered on Tuesday night, but because his wife Verna gave birth to their third child.

So as the Jazz head into two days off, despite the loss to the Nuggets and a 4-14 record, there are reasons to smile and plenty to be thankful for.

The Denver Nuggets are heading on the road to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in a game that Denver really needs to win. Both teams played the New York Knicks in their last games, but the Nuggets unfortunately got blown out at home while the Jazz were able to beat the Knicks at home.

Denver has six players listed on their injury report: Aaron Gordon, Vlatko Cancar, DaRon Holmes II, Spencer Jones, Jalen Pickett, and Peyton Watson.

Aaron Gordon remains out with a right calf strain, Vlatko Cancar is out with a left knee sprain, DaRon Holmes II is out due to repair to his right Achilles tendon, Spencer Jones is out on his two-way G League contract, Jalen Pickett is out on G League assignment, and Peyton Watson is probable with a right adductor strain.

The Jazz have announced that Jordan Clarkson is out with left plantar fasciitis, John Collins is questionable with a left knee contusion, Kyle Filipowski is out with left lower leg inflammation, Taylor Hendricks is out with a right fibula fracture, Lauri Markkanen is out due to personal reasons, and both Cody Williams and David Jones Garcia are out on G League assignments.

The Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz will face off at 9:00 p.m. EST in Utah on Wednesday night.

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HIDEOUT, Utah (ABC4) — Deputies with the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office say they have recovered the gun believed to be used to kill a 61-year-old man in a road rage incident near the Jordanelle Reservoir about two months ago.

Patrick L. Hayes was found dead on the morning of Sept. 26 under what authorities called “suspicious circumstances.” Hayes was reportedly found near the Ross Creek Trailhead outside of his car on the shoulder of the freeway.

Based on the ongoing investigation, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said Hayes appeared to have been involved in a road rage incident. Detectives believe Hayes may have left his car, approached another vehicle with a metal baton and pocket knife in hand and “aggressively called out the other driver.”

“Ultimately, the driver of the second vehicle appears to have shot and killed Mr. Hayes,” the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said in an update to the investigation. “At this time, we are analyzing evidence as to whether Mr. Hayes was attempting to enter the vehicle.”

While authorities have recovered the gun believed to be used, investigators did not disclose where the gun was found.

Investigators with the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office said they have submitted further evidence to the State Crime Lab for analysis. Investigators are reportedly investigating all possible crimes and considering all defenses related to Hayes’ death, including homicide and the possibility of self-defense.

“Importantly, our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mr. Hayes. They have been cooperative, kind, and helpful throughout the investigation,” the Wasatch County Sherrif’s Office said.

The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office did not provide any further information, saying they would provide another update once the results of the evidence analysis is available.