John Collins Shines as Utah Jazz Edge Timberwolves by One Point
A thrilling second-half resurgence leads to dramatic late game victory for the Jazz.
Salt Lake City—The Utah Jazz showcased their resilience and attacking prowess on February 28, 2025, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-116 at the Delta Center, marking their continued struggle for home victory during this season's long homestand.
The star of the night was John Collins, who delivered an electrifying performance with 29 points and 10 rebounds. His impactful play, particularly during the defining moments of the game, not only lifted his team from the depths of adversity but also fired up the home crowd. After trailing at halftime, Collins and the Jazz electrified their fans with a relentless surge, all starting with defensive plays and fast breaks.
Going to the second half, Utah was faced with only the second half's wet blanket—the need for immediate action. After being down by 11 points and trailing 67-56 at the half, the Jazz responded with a staggering 27-4 run, quickly shifting the momentum, putting them up, 72-71, within minutes of the third quarter. This run was ignited by Walker Kessler's key block, leading to Collins sinking a three-pointer, propelling the Jazz forward.
"We remained calm, focused, and just kept fighting," said Collins after the game. "It’s easy to get discouraged in moments like those, but we believe we are capable of battling back, and that's what we did tonight."
Utah's dominance began to show, with stellar shooting performance, highlighted by 66.7% accuracy from the field and 50% from three-point range during the pivotal third quarter. With Isaiah Collier orchestrated the offense beautifully, he achieved career-high assists with 14. "He’s been tremendous for us, creating opportunities," Collins remarked, commenting on Collier’s contributions.
Despite the electric performance from the Jazz, turnovers plagued their game. Utah amassed 20 turnovers compared to only seven by the Timberwolves. This statistic could have swung the game dramatically, but the Jazz maintained their lead heading decisively toward the closing minutes.
Throughout the game, the Timberwolves struggled to respond adequately. Playing without their star Anthony Edwards, who was serving a one-match suspension following his technical foul accumulation, Minnesota's options were decidedly limited. The absence of key players, including Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle due to undisclosed injuries, burdened the squad and hindered their ability to maintain continuity on both ends of the floor.
The Timberwolves, led by Karl-Anthony Towns, fought hard, yet they were unable to secure the win. Minnesota exhibited moments of brilliance but were unable to recover effectively from Utah's third quarter onslaught. Towns finished the game with 22 points, providing his team with solid efforts as they navigated their way to put some distance between themselves and the Jazz.
The final moments of the game were nail-biting as both teams exchanged frantic buckets. Despite strong efforts from Jaden McDaniels and D'Angelo Russell, who scored 25 and 20 points respectively, Minnesota fell short by one point. Utah sealed their victory with precise shooting and stellar defense as the clock wound down.
"The beauty of this league is how unpredictable it is, every game has its own story," said Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, reflecting on the game. "We need to focus on maturing our game and minimize those lapses, especially against engaging teams like the Jazz."
The match-up marked the second of four contests between the two teams this season. Previously, the Timberwolves outplayed the Jazz convincingly 138-113 on January 30. With this latest confrontation though, Utah showed its competitive spirit as they push for playoff positioning.
Looking forward, the Jazz will face the New Orleans Pelicans and Detroit Pistons at home for their remaining games on this homestand, hopeful to snag victories and build momentum. Meanwhile, Minnesota must regroup quickly to bolster their track record as they continue their road trip.
Jazz fans left the Delta Center with revitalized hopes for the remainder of the season, buoyed by their team's ability to bounce back and the visibility of exciting young talents like John Collins and Isaiah Collier, whose impacts have already begun to command attention around the league.
Overall, this thrilling encounter served as a reminder of the NBA's unpredictability and the never-ending drama behind its storied matchups.