After all, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team the Jazz are competing with to see who can rack up the most losses by the end of the season. But Jazz head coach Will Hardy is not the tank-master.

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.

Oscar Tshiebwe nearly disrupted the Jazz's tanking strategy with career-best performances. Tshiebwe scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in 20 minutes against the Pelicans. Despite his efforts, Utah lost 128-121, maintaining their position in the tank race.

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.

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 victories just aren’t that important right now for the Utah Jazz. Getting their younger players game experience in the priority, and plenty of young guys saw the floor Sunday in a 128-121 loss to New Orleans Sunday night at the Delta Center.

Kelly Olynyk scored a season-high 26 points and had nine rebounds and the New Orleans Pelicans used a 15-0 fourth-quarter run to defeat the Utah Jazz 128-121 on Sunday night. CJ McCollum added 25 points and eight assists,

In a major collision with even larger NBA Draft Lottery Implications, the Utah Jazz fell to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans with a final score of 128-121. Kelly Olynyk was huge in his return to Utah.

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).

Kelly Olynyk netted a season-high 26 points, one of four New Orleans players who scored at least 20 points as the Pelicans earned a 127-121 victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Sunday night.