Another game in the clutch. Another Jazz victory.
When it mattered most, the Jazz rose to the occasion on both ends of the court. Utah ended the game on a 12-4 run to take down the Western Conference’s top seed, securing the 124-117 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. With the win, the Jazz stayed in the final spot in the play-in tournament and opened up a 1.5-game lead over Golden State.
“Another night where they made some threes, some pick-and-pop threes, and it didn’t feel good,” head coach Will Hardy said. “But the guys, again understanding that the key to the game was protecting the paint, stuck with it. … It allowed us to hang around. Then we had a bunch of guys on the offensive side play really well. Six guys in double figures, credit to the whole team.”
Here are five things to know following the win
1.) Clutch Victory
Coming down to the wire on Tuesday night, fans were treated to the two best clutch teams in the league putting on a show. Clutch minutes in the NBA are minutes played when the scoring margin is within five points with five or fewer minutes remaining in a game. Utah is 11-8 in the clutch this season with the No. 2 ranked clutch offense. The only team better? Their opponent. Oklahoma City was 16-10 in the clutch this year, boasting the league’s top clutch offense.
Jalen Williams knocked down a three to give the Thunder a 113-112 lead with 3:54 left in the game. But that’s when the Jazz got cooking.
Walker Kessler finished with a dunk on the ensuing possession, giving Utah a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way. Leading by four with just under a minute to go, Lauri Markkanen put the nail in the coffin, taking a pass from Kessler before drilling the wing three for the seven-point lead. Keyonte George was also massive down the stretch, knocking down two threes in the final minutes.
2.) Team Effort
To say Tuesday night was a team effort might be underselling what the Jazz did collectively in the victory over the Thunder. Six players finished in double figures, seven players finished with at least two assists, and five players grabbed at least four rebounds.
Markkanen was sensational, finishing with a double-double and looking like the best player on the court for much of the night. He ended with 33 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor and 5-of-7 from three. His physicality and versatility were on full display, taking advantage of mismatches to score 17 points in the third quarter before hitting the dagger three late.
Much like Markkanen, John Collins also shined. The Thunder struggled against his combination of strength and athleticism, as he finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Collin Sexton added 14 points, while Kris Dunn finished with eight points, five assists, four steals, three rebounds, and three blocks.
George led the second unit with 16 points (4-of-6 from three) and five assists, while Jordan Clarkson chipped in 12 points. Kelly Olynyk added 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, while Kessler added four points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
3.) Third-Quarter Run
Utah trailed 92-82 with 4:14 left in the third quarter following a Lu Dort three for the Thunder. More importantly, the crowd was quiet as Oklahoma City looked poised to break the game open.
But as they’ve done over and over again — and most recently, two nights ago against Milwaukee — the Jazz never quit. Back-to-back buckets by Keyonte George ignited the home crowd, and it was just the beginning. Utah ended the quarter on a 14-0 run to take a 96-92 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
The lineup of George, Clarkson, Dunn, Markkanen, and Kessler allowed the Jazz to spread the floor on offense while staying big on defense. Kessler and Dunn were dominant on the defensive end, especially against Gilgeous-Alexander. With Dunn hounding him everywhere he went, Kessler roamed the backline, contesting shots and grabbing rebounds.
“We turned in a defensive performance tonight where they had 36 points in the paint, only eight in the second half,” Hardy said. “I thought our awareness in the second half, to Shai in particular, was much better as a group. I thought Kris Dunn had some magnificent moments one-on-one, but it’s not just about Kris. … I thought his teammates did a much better job in the second half of their recognition and shifting to help Kris in certain moments.”
“But he (Dunn) did an amazing job in the second half on Shai.”
4.) Controlling the Glass
If there was one part of the game where the Jazz could exert their will over the Thunder, it would come on the glass.
Entering Tuesday, Utah was one of the top rebounding teams in the league, averaging 46.6 (2nd in the NBA) total rebounds and 12.7 (3rd in the NBA) offensive boards per game. They grabbed 33.3% of their missed shots per game, second-best in the league. Likewise, Oklahoma City has struggled on the glass, averaging 41.6 (26th) total rebounds per game. They’ve struggled on the defensive glass, grabbing 68.2% of missed shots (29th in the league).
Utah attacked the glass relentlessly all night, outrebounding the Thunder 48-32. The Jazz grabbed 15 offensive rebounds — three more than their average — and finished with a 19-9 advantage in second-chance points. Led by Markkanen’s 11 rebounds, three players finished with at least nine.
5.) Rising Stars
There was a lot of star power on the court Tuesday night.
Markkanen, fresh off winning the Most Improved Player of the Year award, will be heading to Indianapolis for All-Star Weekend to compete in the three-point contest. Oklahoma City guard Gilgeous-Alexander will be there as well, being named a Western Conference starter for the All-Star Game.
Both teams will also be exceptionally well represented during the Rising Stars game. Utah will have rookie George and Kessler playing, while Chet Holmgren, Williams, and Cason Wallace will be suiting up for Oklahoma City. Kessler and Williams played in the game last year, were named to the All-Rookie first team, and finished in the top three for Rookie of the Year voting.
George has come on strong as of late for the Jazz, averaging 15.3 points over his last six games. Meanwhile, Holmgren is one of two frontrunners for this year’s Rookie of the Year award, while Wallace is one of the best defensive guards in the rookie class.