Dallas \u2022 Utah guard Darryn Peterson looked like an Olympian for a possession late in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. <\/p>\n
Peterson jumped sky-high, intercepted a pass from Dallas forward Morez Johnson Jr. with both hands, and corralled it as his shoes finally hit the ground. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to tell exactly how high Peterson jumped to steal the possession, but it was a feat that prompted many in the press row to say some version of, \u201cOh, [expletive].\u201d <\/p>\n
By then, the game was out of hand, and the Jazz were on their way to a seventh straight loss, falling to 1-8. <\/p>\n
Yet, for the first time in a while, social media wasn\u2019t talking about Utah losing yet another game. <\/p>\n
The talk was about Peterson\u2019s play \u2014 a ray of hope in what\u2019s been a difficult start for the Jazz.<\/p>\n
Peterson finished with 21 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field, five assists, two rebounds, three blocks and two steals. At one point, he scored 12 straight points and almost willed a comeback by himself in Dallas.<\/p>\n
It was by far his best all-around game all season. He was in a total flow state. Peterson wasn\u2019t rushing shots or hesitant; he looked decisive and attacked the Mavericks drop coverage whenever he could. <\/p>\n
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\u201cJust a little bit more comfortable,\u201d Peterson told The Tribune. \u201cFinding some comfort out there. Getting used to it. \u2026 Finding my spots, figuring out which shots I like a lot and which shots I want to get to. So, keep finding those, and I need to make them at a high level.\u201d <\/p>\n
Veteran forward Lauri Markkanen said postgame that he was proud of Peterson and believed he was finding his groove. <\/p>\n
So, for at least one night, there were no think pieces about his play on social media.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s become common practice after every Jazz loss. <\/p>\n
If you hop on social media, fans and national media alike put every Peterson possession, game, and stat line under the microscope. <\/p>\n
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft is constantly compared with the players selected around him, and \u2014 depending on how each player played \u2014 why they should be above or below Peterson in the NBA rookie rankings or a potential redraft. <\/p>\n
Other times, it\u2019s about why he should have the ball more or less, depending on who you ask. Whoever it is, every basketball fan or media personality seems to have an opinion on Peterson\u2019s play.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Peterson isn\u2019t a big social media user. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t even pay attention to it,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cObviously I see it sometimes, but I [couldn\u2019t] care less what they\u2019re saying. I just focus on my team and trying to win.\u201d <\/p>\n
Win. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s a word that has eluded the Utah Jazz in recent weeks. <\/p>\n
With a young player like Peterson and a team learning to win, moments of strife are inevitable. <\/p>\n
Like when Jazz coach Will Hardy benched Peterson last week in Utah\u2019s loss to the Spurs, and Peterson didn\u2019t play at all in overtime. <\/p>\n
When asked about it, Peterson took ownership of his defensive mistakes and told The Tribune he messed up on two straight defensive possessions. <\/p>\n
That isn\u2019t exactly new for Peterson. He isn\u2019t afraid to say he messed up, sometimes to a fault. He takes hard coaching well; he\u2019s dealt with it throughout his life, including from his father, Darryl Peterson, who coached him until high school.<\/p>\n
And Kansas coach Bill Self sure isn\u2019t afraid to yell at players or bench them if they mess up. So, when Will Hardy did the same, Peterson took it in stride \u2014 even if it sometimes feels like Hardy is harder on Peterson than he is on other players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like being coached hard,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cCoach Hardy told me he was going to push me as soon as I got here. So, I know it\u2019s going to have me better in the long run, and I appreciate him for it.\u201d <\/p>\n
The biggest worry on Peterson\u2019s mind? Ending the Jazz\u2019s losing streak. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe perfect answer is next game,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cFlush this one, get ready for Minnesota.\u201d <\/p>\n
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