On a night typically reserved for villains, a merry band of heroes stole the show inside Vivint Arena.
With Dillon Brooks doing his best impersonation of the ultimate Jazz villain and Ja Morant looking like an MVP frontrunner, it was Lauri Markkanen, Malik Beasley, and co. who proved that even the good guys can win on Halloween.
"Great team win. … Hard to beat a team twice in a row," head coach Will Hardy said. "I thought our team did a good job overall of playing team defense, which allowed us to get out and run. We are continuing to find ways to win with this group. … Everybody is participating."
Here are five things to know following the win:
1.) Markkanen Playing In SLC In Mid-February?!?
After a sensational showing at EuroBasket over the summer, Markkanen has parlayed that into an even better start to the NBA season, continuing to be the league's breakout star.
With Morant playing like an MVP, Markkanen matched his production with his best performance of the season. He finished with a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds, adding four blocks and two assists.
"When Lauri was playing at the five, I thought his ability to drop and protect the basket was very good," Hardy said. "He's a legit 7-footer, and his ability to space his guy and still contest at the rim is very good. When you combine his foot speed with his size, he's a really effective defender."
His great start to the season has his teammates pushing him to make his first All-Star team, a feat made even more special considering Salt Lake City hosts the festivities this year.
"He's an All-Star," Beasley said. "I've preached that, and I want him to get that this year. … So we've got to make sure we continue winning and get him that ballot vote."
2.) Don't Piss Off Mike Conley
Known as arguably the nicest guy in the NBA — he's never received a technical foul in 16 seasons — it doesn't make sense why anyone would go after Mike Conley. Yet, for some unknown reason, Brooks did just that.
Trying to be a spark for the Grizzlies, Brooks picked up a technical foul when he fouled Conley and drug him to the floor, got up, stood over Conley, had some harsh words to say, and then promptly stepped over him.
While it appeared to work as Memphis got its deficit down to 11, it didn't last long. On the strength of the shooting and play-making of Conley, the Jazz wheeled off a 16-4 run a few minutes after the technical — and then cruised to the win.
"Our team responded well," Hardy said following the technical foul. "The message was, let's just focus on the main thing, don't let anything going on in the court take us out of our execution. There's always talking in a game between teams. … In that moment when it got a little heated, I thought our guys responded well and focused on the task at hand."
3.) Sexton Out Jumps Adams
In one of the funnier scenes on the court, Memphis' Steven Adams — who rivals Conley as the most likable player in the league — found himself entangled with Collin Sexton and Conley at midcourt, battling over a loose ball.
After the whistle blew and the players were untangled, it was decided that Adams and Sexton would settle possession with a jump ball.
So while the 6-foot-1 Sexton stood next to the 6-foot-11 Adams, Jazz Nation couldn't help but laugh at the preposterous vision. But when official Marc Davis threw the ball in the air, Sexton won the battle, and Utah retained possession — which ignited a loud and raucous cheer inside the arena.
4.) Unselfish Play
When asked what makes this Jazz team so unique and why they've gotten off to such a hot start, almost every player and coach speaks about the unselfish play for one another.
The Jazz will often pass up a good shot for a better one — a key component of Hardy's offense that the team has fully bought into.
That was on full display Monday night when Utah dished out 26 assists on 42 made shots. But the prettiest assist came as the final nail in the coffin during Utah's huge third quarter run.
Watch below for the unselfish play this team is now known for.
5.) Halloween Celebration
When it comes to dressing up on one of the most celebrated holidays in the country, there is no bigger flex than going as yourself.
Missing accomplished, Thurl Bailey.
Initially drafted by the Jazz with the No. 7 overall pick in 1983, Bailey played nine seasons in Utah, where he twice finished runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award. A massive fan-favorite, he currently works as a broadcast analyst for the Jazz.
But Bailey wasn't the only one buying into the spooky spirit.
Clarkson, Sexton, and Beasley all dressed up individually for the pregame walk-ins — although Beasley coordinated with his son Makai.
But the best costume of the team — at least in my opinion — was the duo of Jarred Vanderbilt and Talen Horton-Tucker. They decided to go as Smokey and Craig Jones from the iconic movie 'Friday' — absolutely nailing their costumes.