Fontecchio Career-High Not Enough As Bucks Crush Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY – The shorthanded Utah Jazz were crushed by the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday falling 144-116.

The Jazz were playing without Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton, and were led by Simone Fontecchio who finished with a career-high 26 points.

The Bucks were led by Grayson Allen who scored 25 points.

First Quarter

Grayson Allen got the Bucks off to a hot start scoring the first 11 points of the game on a perfect 4-4 shooting.

The Jazz responded by trimming the Bucks lead to just five at 22-17 late in the first.

Joe Ingles back in Utah is a beautiful sight 🥹#TakeNote #FearTheDeer https://t.co/3KjGiO4B4L

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 25, 2023

Allen finished the quarter with 14 points to lead the Bucks while Kelly Olynyk had nine to lead the Jazz.

After one the Jazz trailed Milwaukee 40-25.

Second Quarter

The Jazz battled back with a lineup of Talen Horton-Tucker, Simone Fontecchio, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and Udoka Azubuike on the floor, trimming the Bucks lead to 10, 49-39, with eight minutes left in the half.

The lead shrunk to as few as six, but the Bucks responded with a 16-2 run to rebuild the lead to 20 with two minutes left in the quarter.

Okay, THT 😳#TakeNote #UTAvsMILhttps://t.co/e9YkQSAVZB

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 25, 2023

Olynyk upped his point total to 16 to lead all scorers while Jrue Holiday led the Bucks with 15.

At the half, the Jazz trailed the Bucks 72-58.

Third Quarter

The Bucks took over in the third quarter, extending their lead to 30, 103-73 midway through the period.

The Jazz struggled to shoot as a team, knocking down just 6-23 from the three-point line over the first three quarters of the game.

first bucket of the second half?

SIMONEFONTECCHIO for all you #PredictThis participants 😏 pic.twitter.com/F4k3ugxVvL

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 25, 2023

Simone Fontecchio had 21 points on 8-14 shooting to lead the Jazz while Allen had 25 to lead the Bucks.

After three the Jazz trailed the Bucks 115-85.

Fourth Quarter

Both teams emptied their benches to open the fourth quarter as the Jazz were never able to make a serious run at the Bucks.

Fontecchio upped his total to 26, while the Bucks knocked down 22 three-pointers, one shy of tying the most ever by a Jazz opponent.

The Bucks climbed to a league-best 53-20 on the season, while the Jazz fell to 35-38.

The Jazz fell to Milwaukee 144-116.

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.

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