Jazz lose to Cavs as losing skid hits 10, 129-113

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz losing streak is becoming historically bad.

Caris LeVert scored 26 points and Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Utah Jazz 129-113 on Tuesday night.

Utah has now lost ten in a row, its longest losing streak since the 1981-82 season when the Jazz lost a franchise-record 18 straight.

LeVert started in place of former Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who missed Tuesday’s game due to injury management. Evan Mobley added 21 points for the Cavs, and reserve Sam Merrill had 18 points on six 3-pointers.

Cleveland scored 26 points off 20 Utah turnovers and led wire to wire. It stopped a four-game road losing streak.

‘Go see your doctor’: Utah Jazz GM to undergo kidney transplant for genetic disease

Brice Sensabaugh made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points for Utah, matching his season high in his rookie year. Collin Sexton had 19 points and six assists, and Taylor Hendricks added 18 points.

“I’m a capable and a good shooter,” Sensabaugh. “So I think it was just a matter of time before I started getting my rhythm. I think it’s just the work that I put in starting to pay off.”

“I do see our young players continuing to to grow, and they are showing that they’re capable of playing good basketball,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “We’ve talked a lot this season about how can we shorten bad stretches, and I think right now the goal with the young players is how do we learn to lengthen the good stretches?”

The Jazz played without starters Lauri Markkanen and John Collins in their 10th consecutive loss. Reserve center Walker Kessler was held out in the second half after suffering a nasal fracture.

Cleveland made its first seven shots from the field while surging to a 23-9 lead midway through the first quarter. The Cavaliers shot 68% from the field and totaled 40 points during the quarter while repeatedly getting open looks from the perimeter and at the rim. They had 13 assists on 15 field goals during that stretch.

Besides playing lackadaisical defense, the Jazz also committed seven first-quarter turnovers.

Sensabaugh, Hendricks score career-highs in Jazz loss

Cleveland extended its lead to 45-29 on Darius Garland’s pullup 3-pointer before Utah clawed back into the game. Omer Yurtseven capped an 11-2 run with a three-point play that cut the deficit to 50-45.

Allen and Mobley combined for three dunks to push the lead back to double digits and spark a 17-2 run that put the Cavaliers up 67-47 at halftime.

Utah next visits the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik underwent successful kidney transplant surgery on Tuesday, and he hopes to be back with the team by the end of the month.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.