Jazz's Isaiah Collier plays hero after gaffe that set Collin Sexton off
01/13/2025 01:19 PM
In their thrilling win over the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz rookie Isaiah Collier was Utah’s unsung hero. Collier finished the game with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists and hit the game-winning shot with seconds to go in overtime. It was a high-stakes highlight for the Jazz rookie and a highlight that feels few and far between for a Utah team tanking through the season. However, Collier did have a chance to get the Jazz over the line in the last possession before overtime.
ISAIAH COLLIER WINS IT FOR THE JAZZ pic.twitter.com/BhYPvoJ9ZK
— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2025
Collier’s theatrics weren’t limited to just the game-winning bucket for Utah. In the closing moments of regulation, the Jazz rookie drew some flack from teammate Collin Sexton. The Jazz had the ball when the score was tied at 102-102. Sexton was signaling for it due to being open in the backcourt. However, Collier ignored Sexton’s request and took his time instead of passing. With plenty of time to make a play, Collier ultimately failed to pass to Sexton, leading to an 8-second violation.
Isaiah Collier waves off Colin Sexton and gets an 8 second violation.
Sexton: "GIVE ME THE F**KING BALL"
— Mark Jackson's Burner (@casualtakeking) January 13, 2025
After the violation, Sexton was livid and heard shouting, “Give me the f*cking ball” to his rookie teammate. Now, in his seventh NBA season, Sexton finally understands how he drove his teammates crazy as a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Things were ugly between Jazz teammates Isaiah Collier and Collin Sexton
Unfortunately, things further escalated for Collier, Sexton, and the Jazz.
Collier and Sexton had a heated exchange during the confusion after the turnover. At his core, Sexton is a competitor. Sexton was determined to win that confrontation immediately, showing that he was focused solely on winning the game. The competition trumps everything for players on the court, and the desire to win drives them.
So, with seconds winding down and a chance to win available to him, Sexton thought he could seal the deal against the Nets. It makes sense why Sexton felt that way, too. Sexton led the Jazz in scoring during the fourth quarter with six points and was wide-open while Collier ignored him.
However, to be fair to Collier, who led Utah in scoring, Sexton was wildly inaccurate against Brooklyn. Sexton connected on eight of his 20 attempts against the Nets, while Collier went 9-16 from the floor. So, while Collier did make a rookie mistake with an eight-second violation, not passing to Sexton might have been the right call overall.
Either way, Collier rectified his rookie miscue by saving Utah in overtime. It’s a step in the right direction for Collier, who can potentially be the franchise’s long-term point guard.
The post Jazz’s Isaiah Collier plays hero after gaffe that set Collin Sexton off appeared first on ClutchPoints.
