Dallas • Utah guard Darryn Peterson looked like an Olympian for a possession late in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks.
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.
It’s 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, “Oh, [expletive].”
By then, the game was out of hand, and the Jazz were on their way to a seventh straight loss, falling to 1-8.
Yet, for the first time in a while, social media wasn’t talking about Utah losing yet another game.
The talk was about Peterson’s play — a ray of hope in what’s been a difficult start for the Jazz.
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.
It was by far his best all-around game all season. He was in a total flow state. Peterson wasn’t rushing shots or hesitant; he looked decisive and attacked the Mavericks drop coverage whenever he could.
“Just a little bit more comfortable,” Peterson told The Tribune. “Finding some comfort out there. Getting used to it. … 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.”
Veteran forward Lauri Markkanen said postgame that he was proud of Peterson and believed he was finding his groove.
So, for at least one night, there were no think pieces about his play on social media.
That’s become common practice after every Jazz loss.
If you hop on social media, fans and national media alike put every Peterson possession, game, and stat line under the microscope.
The No. 2 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft is constantly compared with the players selected around him, and — depending on how each player played — why they should be above or below Peterson in the NBA rookie rankings or a potential redraft.
Other times, it’s 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’s play.
Meanwhile, Peterson isn’t a big social media user.
“I don’t even pay attention to it,” Peterson said. “Obviously I see it sometimes, but I [couldn’t] care less what they’re saying. I just focus on my team and trying to win.”
Win.
That’s a word that has eluded the Utah Jazz in recent weeks.
With a young player like Peterson and a team learning to win, moments of strife are inevitable.
Like when Jazz coach Will Hardy benched Peterson last week in Utah’s loss to the Spurs, and Peterson didn’t play at all in overtime.
When asked about it, Peterson took ownership of his defensive mistakes and told The Tribune he messed up on two straight defensive possessions.
That isn’t exactly new for Peterson. He isn’t afraid to say he messed up, sometimes to a fault. He takes hard coaching well; he’s dealt with it throughout his life, including from his father, Darryl Peterson, who coached him until high school.
And Kansas coach Bill Self sure isn’t afraid to yell at players or bench them if they mess up. So, when Will Hardy did the same, Peterson took it in stride — even if it sometimes feels like Hardy is harder on Peterson than he is on other players.
“I like being coached hard,” Peterson said. “Coach Hardy told me he was going to push me as soon as I got here. So, I know it’s going to have me better in the long run, and I appreciate him for it.”
The biggest worry on Peterson’s mind? Ending the Jazz’s losing streak.
“The perfect answer is next game,” Peterson said. “Flush this one, get ready for Minnesota.”
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