Tag: Salt Lake City

Categories
FEATURED

Steve Kerr suggests moving the NBA trade deadline to the All-Star break to avoid teams playing shorthanded

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures toward players during the first half of an NBA basketball game

Golden State coach Steve Kerr had a plan for his team when he arrived at the arena in Salt Lake City on Wednesday. However, that plan quickly changed less than an hour before the game.

The reason for the change was that Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schroder were no longer with the Warriors. Golden State and Miami Heat were finalizing a trade that would send Jimmy Butler to the Warriors. This left Kerr needing to come up with a new plan on very short notice. After losing 131-128 to Utah, Kerr suggested the NBA consider a change to the timing of the trade deadline.

“I think the league should consider making the trade deadline at the All-Star break just so you don’t have to face these games where guys are getting traded half an hour before a game and you’re trying to process the emotions and trying to win a game,” Kerr said. “I don’t know if it’s possible.”

The trade deadline this season is set for 3 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. All trades must be approved by the league, and then there are logistical issues in getting the traded players to their new teams.

While this is happening, the league still keeps playing.

Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr (NBA)

The Warriors had only 10 available players for Wednesday’s game, with Wiggins, Schroder, Lindy Waters III, and Kyle Anderson out due to the trade. Additionally, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody were out due to injuries.

All 10 available Warriors played. Two-way player Jackson Rowe made his NBA debut, logging 14 minutes, and fellow two-way signee Pat Spencer also played 14 minutes—matching his total for the last 11 games combined.

Kerr described the pregame experience as strange.

“Our guys were in the locker room getting ready to play,” Kerr said. “And all of a sudden, we’re saying goodbye.”

The Warriors weren’t the only team missing players due to pending trades on Wednesday, and there will likely be more teams without newly acquired players on Thursday and Friday as the deadline passes.

“It’d be great if we could move it back or make the last couple of days before the deadline off days,” Kerr said. “I don’t know how to do it. But these are tough days, for sure.”

Categories
FEATURED

Jordan Binnington shuts down Utah as Blues secure victory in St. Louis

St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club

Jordan Binnington made 24 saves as the St. Louis Blues ended their four-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Alexandre Texier and Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues, who had been outscored 16-4 during their losing streak.

Michael Kesselring scored for Utah, and Connor Ingram made 27 saves for the Hockey Club, which has now gone winless in its last five games (0-3-2).

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker left the game in the third period after a hard shoulder-first fall into the boards.

St. Louis outshot Utah 15-6 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead. Mathieu Joseph tested Ingram with a shot from the right wing, and Texier challenged him with a shot from the left wing on the rush. The Blues finally scored with 2:19 left in the first, when Radek Faska passed the puck to Texier, who scored from the low slot.

The second period ended scoreless, with Utah outshooting the Blues 9-7. Utah had a chance to score on a scramble in front of the net, but Ingram stopped Joseph’s rush from the left wing. Binnington kept St. Louis ahead by stopping Barrett Hayton’s shot during a 2-on-1 short-handed rush.

St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Kesselring tied the game 3:27 into the third period. After Kevin Stenlund won a faceoff in the offensive zone, Nick Bjugstad passed the puck back to Kesselring, who shot from the right point through traffic.

Ingram made a great save on Kyrou’s point-blank shot, but Kyrou scored shortly afterward. Thomas made a diagonal pass from the end boards to Kyrou, who stepped in from the right circle and put the Blues ahead 2-1.

Utah had a chance to tie the game during back-to-back power plays. On the first, Keller’s shot hit the crossbar. On the second, Binnington came out of the crease to stop Josh Doan’s shot from the slot.

Categories
FEATURED

Jazz look to secure back-to-back victories as Pacers visit Salt Lake City

Utah Jazz (NBA)

The Utah Jazz are hoping to achieve something they’ve only done twice this season when they face the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Fresh off a 113-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday, the Jazz will try to get back-to-back wins for the third time this season when they host the Pacers in Salt Lake City.

It won’t be easy, though — especially since Utah has struggled more at home than on the road this year.

The Pacers come into the game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They’ve won three straight games and have been the most successful team since the new year. Indiana is 11-2 in games played in 2025.

This strong run has pushed Indiana seven games over .500 and into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Their offense is clicking too, as the Pacers have scored at least 130 points in each of their last three games.

“Our goal is to lead the league in the number of passes thrown,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve been up at the top this year. … We’ve got to be a ball-movement, hot-ball, speed, random (team). Keep playing the game and keep putting pressure. Keep putting teams in difficult situations.”

Indiana has averaged nearly 31 assists per game in January and February, with point guard Tyrese Haliburton leading the way with an average of 8.7 assists.

“You have to take care of the ball,” Haliburton said. “We’ve been stressing possession, and coach has been stressing possession with us. We’ve just been trying to pay attention to it.”

Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers

Monday’s game in Utah starts a four-game road trip for the Pacers, who have six games remaining before the All-Star break.

Indiana comes into the game after a 132-127 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out five assists. Andrew Nembhard added 19 points, Obi Toppin scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Haliburton had 17 points and nine assists.

The Jazz also had a solid game in their last outing.

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and had eight assists, while John Collins added 19 points as Utah snapped an eight-game losing streak and picked up their fourth home win of the year.

Now the Jazz have a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since January 4-5, when they won in Miami and Orlando.

“It’s a great team win,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I thought the group was really physical (Saturday). I thought we matched the physicality, or we met the level of physicality that’s needed when you play a team like the Magic.”

That physical play helped Utah limit Orlando to 33% shooting, including just 22% from beyond the arc.

“We understood that they’re not the greatest 3-point shooting team, and they love to get downhill, be physical,” Collins said. “They have a lot of great guys that get downhill. So I feel like the emphasis was on myself, (Lauri Markkanen), Walker (Kessler), the big fellas down there to protect the paint and set a tone.”