Kessler is the eighth player with at least 22 rebounds in a game this season, with the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis and New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns …
In his first game since not being dealt away at the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, center Walker Kessler posted a rarely seen set of statistics in the Utah Jazz’s 135-127 overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
In addition to reaching a career high with 22 rebounds, the former Auburn standout had 19 points, four assists and three blocked shots.
In the past five NBA seasons, that set of numbers has been reached by a player in only one other game – the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis in a 120-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 10, 2024.
Kessler’s performance on Friday night was the 18th time in this century that an NBA player had reached those numbers in those four statistical categories.
Kessler became the second Utah player to hit those marks. The first was Karl Malone in a 124-116 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 1990.
Kessler is the eighth player with at least 22 rebounds in a game this season, with the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis and New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns recording two such games apiece.
In the run-up to the NBA trade deadline, speculation had linked Kessler to the Lakers, who made a blockbuster trade that swapped Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. Los Angeles did acquire a center in the wake of that deal, but it was Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets.
In 40 games this season, Kessler has averaged 11.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.4 blocks. He leads the NBA with a .710 shooting percentage.
On Friday night, the Jazz overcame a 13-point deficit in the final 5:15 of the fourth quarter, with Kessler scoring five of Utah’s final nine points. But Phoenix’s Grayson Allen sank a 3-point at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
The loss dropped the Jazz to 12-38. Utah plays the Los Angeles Clippers at 9:30 p.m. CST Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Source: Utah News