Utah has spent the first two years of its roster reconstruction falling to the tail end of the NBA lottery, obtaining the ninth-best lottery odds in back-to-back years and grabbing the ninth and tenth picks in subsequent drafts. Their fruits have underwhelmed to this point.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have five players out when they take on the Utah Jazz on the road at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 2.

For the eighth straight home appearance, the Utah Jazz square up against the New Orleans Pelicans in a battle that puts plenty at stake for both teams' future and present as CJ McCollum and the tragically fascinating Pelicans travel to Utah.

The Jazz lost to the Pelicans — as team management hoped — but head coach Will Hardy wasn't happy with the team's defense. What went wrong? Plus, Oscar Tshiebwe has a career night.

The former first-round pick has now earned a standard NBA contract with the Jazz, which was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday afternoon. Springer has proven he's worth keeping on the roster longer-term, especially given he's only 22 years old.

Meanwhile, the backup show in Utah likely won’t take advantage of a flimsy New Orleans defense. While the Pelicans are just 22nd in the league in points allowed per game (110.7) and 25th in defensive rating (110.8), Keyonte George is the only player available for the Jazz averaging double-digit points (16.5).

One of the lone bright defensive spots of the night came from two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe, who was by far the Jazz’s best defender against Williamson and was clawing to help on every possession, despite his lack of time spent with the Jazz and his shortcomings when it comes to understanding everything the team does schematically.

Oscar Tshiebwe — a Utah Jazz player on a two-way contract who has made his name in the G League as an other-worldly rebounder and one of the most cheerful and delightful people to be around — had the best game of his young career on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Utah Jazz begin the final stretch of their franchise-record nine-game homestand Sunday night when they host the New Orleans Pelicans in Salt Lake City.

The New Orleans Pelicans (16-44) play the Utah Jazz (15-44) on March 2, 2025. The matchup airs on KJZZ and Gulf Coast Sports. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand.

Will Hardy expressed disappointment after the Utah Jazz's 128-121 loss to the Pelicans. Zion Williamson and Kelly Olynyk dominated, exploiting Utah's defensive lapses, scoring 50 combined points. Hardy hopes the game serves as a learning opportunity for the Jazz's young players.