Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy didn’t hold back when talking about his team’s poor defensive effort against Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, who had an unforgettable night on Tuesday.
Knecht lit up the scoreboard with a career-high 37 points, sinking an impressive 9 out of 12 three-pointers. In the third quarter, he completely dominated, scoring 18 points in just the final 3 minutes and 29 seconds, helping the Lakers build a massive 22-point lead. The Jazz simply had no answers for him.
After the game, Hardy voiced his frustration and didn’t sugarcoat his feelings. He sarcastically pointed out that it seemed like everyone in the arena knew the Lakers were going to keep giving the ball to Knecht—except for the Jazz players.
“In the second half, it felt like everyone in the gym knew Dalton Knecht was going to take the next shot—everyone except a few people,” Hardy said. “Unfortunately, those few people were on our team.”
Hardy, who comes from the coaching tree of NBA legend Gregg Popovich, showed a sharp sense of humor but also made it clear he wasn’t happy. And honestly, given how poorly the Jazz defended Knecht, it’s hard to argue with him.
This season hasn’t been kind to Hardy, who is now in his third year as head coach of the Jazz. He’s still searching for his first winning season, and with a tough 3-11 start to this campaign, things aren’t looking much better.