The odds were against Utah on Tuesday.
Not only were they playing their third game in four days — all in different cities — but they were facing a Detroit team who had beaten them handily earlier in the season.
None of that mattered.
Despite playing the second end of a back-to-back, Utah came out focused and energized as they took down Detroit 126-111. With the win, the Jazz salvaged a difficult road trip to stay above .500 at 18-16 on the season.
“That’s a great team win on the second night of a back-to-back. … A lot of different guys contributed,” head coach Will Hardy said postgame. “It was a good bounce back for us after two rough games. I thought that game looked and felt a lot more like the team you guys have gotten to know so far this year. … I thought that our competitiveness really showed through.”
The big news entering Tuesday night was that NBA All-Star voting had officially opened that morning — and Lauri Markkanen reminded everyone that he deserves to be playing at the February showcase.
After another hot start in the opening 12 minutes, Markkanen was downright dominant all game long. He tied his career-high with 38 points on 13-for-20 from the floor and 9-of-13 from beyond the arc, adding five rebounds. His nine three-pointers made was a career-high.
After being aggressive and getting to the free throw line last night against Cleveland, Markkanen showed that he’s just as good in the midrange and from deep. His most impressive moment came when he drilled a stepback three-pointer on one possession and followed that up with an impressive shot fake that allowed him to soar in for a dunk on the following possession.
He’s emerged as Utah’s No. 1 option and has proven that he belongs in the discussion as NBA All-Star, among other potential accolades.
“I always give credit to my teammates,” Markkanen said. “I think all of them were catch-and-shoot threes, so they did a good job of finding me, getting me open with good screens. So it was easy because I just had to step in and knock them down. … Happy to see a couple go through the hoop.”
Before Markkanen proved his All-Star candidacy over the past few weeks, Jarred Vanderbilt clamored for the 7-footer from Finland to be voted into the game.
While he may not be playing in the game himself, Vanderbilt was sensational on Tuesday night. He tied his season-high with 18 points, adding 13 rebounds and six assists as he was arguably Utah’s most important player on the court.
He got things started with a corner three-pointer, looking much more comfortable on those catch-and-shoot opportunities as he finished 2-for-4 from deep. While his offense was excellent, his defense and rebounding remain his best assets, as he completely changed the game on that end of the court.
“I thought Vando sparked us with his energy, he moved the ball great tonight,” Hardy said.
Another Jazz game, another strong start by The Finisher — Markkanen was red-hot in the opening 12 minutes. He dropped 16 points in the opening quarter, including nine in the first five minutes, as he was on fire from deep.
Vanderbilt started things with a three-pointer, but then the teams exchanged buckets for the next six minutes before Detroit took a one-point lead. Utah responded with a quick 7-0 run to lead 31-24 after one.
Vanderbilt stayed hot for the Jazz with a quick five to start the second, giving the Jazz a 13-point lead just under three minutes in.
But that’s when Detroit, led by Alec Burks and Jaden Ivey, responded. They helped the Pistons go on a 19-5 run to take a three-point lead with just over four to play in the half.
After Mike Conley tied things up following a three, Jordan Clarkson took over. He scored Utah’s final 12 points of the half as the Jazz took a 61-60 lead at the break.
The third quarter opened up similarly to the first, as neither could pull away. The Jazz began to find some separation following a quick 5-0 run, but former Jazzman Bojan Bogdanovic responded with a three-pointer for Detroit.
However, the Jazz would get the final say. After Detroit cut the deficit to four, Utah gave itself some breathing room with a 10-2 run to lead 95-85 entering the fourth.
Detroit cut the deficit to single digits early in the fourth, but a 9-3 run gave the Jazz a lead they would never relinquish. Every time Detroit appeared to find some rhythm, Markkanen or Malik Beasley responded with a clutch shot as the Jazz cruised to the win over the final six minutes.
Clarkson was dynamite in spurts, calling his own number when required as he finished with 21 points, six assists, and three rebounds. Walker Kessler, starting again in place of the injured Kelly Olynyk, finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks.
Malik Beasley led the bench unit with 17 points and three rebounds, while Conley added seven points and seven assists.
Utah returns home for a single game against Washington before heading back on the road for a three-game swing after Christmas. Tipoff for Thursday’s showdown with the Wizards is set for 7 p.m. MST.