Utah isn’t getting over accusations of angst after Will Hardy’s confession
The The Utah Jazz are guilty of some of the most incredible tank jobs the last few seasons. You’d know the season is officially over when Lauri Markkanen and company start missing games, but they’ve taken their tendency to lose games on purpose to another level as they’ve ejected their best players, including Markkanen, in the fourth quarter of games they’ve led.
On Monday night, however, there was nothing prevent the Jazz from winning. Brice Sensabaugh didn’t get the memo that Utah was trying to lose on purpose, as he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with less than a minute left to give the Jazz an eventual 115-111 victory over the Miami Heat in a game the head coach Will Hardy sat Markkanen, newly acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic throughout the fourth quarter.
Hardy’s postgame comments leave the Jazz with little or no plausible deniability in their efforts, as he admitted there was no way Markkanen, Jackson and Nurkic would have entered the contest even though the game was still underway.
“I didn’t (want to bring back Markkanen or Jackson),” Hardy said via Five Reasons Sports on X (formerly Twitter).
He asked Jazz coach Will Hardy how close he was to inserting Lauri Markkanen or Jaren Jackson Jr. into the game in the fourth quarter.
“I wasn’t.” pic.twitter.com/bZcEkCo8VA
— Five Reasons Sports 🏀🏈⚾🏒⚽ (@5ReasonsSports) February 10, 2026
Will the NBA put an end to the Jazz’s blatant tank job?
It’s clear why the Jazz are trying to lose games; would transfer their 2026 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if they fall outside the top eight. But the brazenness they’re dealing with must give Commissioner Adam Silver a very sour taste in his mouth.
The Jazz have been trying to increase their lottery chances for the past few seasons. But even then, the best pick they got was the fifth overall pick in 2025, which they used to select Ace Bailey. Is this the year Utah finally cashes in, especially with the acquisition of Jackson putting them in prime position to compete for a playoff spot next season?
2026-02-10 06:06:00
