A night after a tough loss in San Antonio, the Jazz fell behind early and never recovered, losing 122-113 to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The Jazz (13-15) had won four of five games before this two-game trip.
The Thunder (17-8) controlled the game from start to finish, jumping out to a 6-0 lead and leading by as many as 29. OKC never trailed.
"When you put yourself behind the eight ball, you have to be lucky or perfect to get back in the game and win," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said. "We didn't play well enough to deserve that. We were competing, but we didn't execute. That's what it comes down to."
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 19 points, while Rudy Gobert (13 points, 14 rebounds) finished with his 23rd double-double of the season.
Jae Crowder (13 points), Derrick Favors (12 points), Ricky Rubio (10 points) and Ekpe Udoh (10 points) also scored in double figures in the loss.
Paul George led all scorers with 31 points on 8-for-10 shooting. George shot 5-for-6 from 3-point range and 10-for-12 from the line, and he added four steals in 30 minutes. Russell Westbrook registered an inefficient triple-double with 10 points (on 4-for-18 shooting), 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Dennis Schroder (23 points) and Steven Adams (22 points) had standout games for the Thunder (17-8) in the victory.
This was the first meeting between the two teams since the Jazz beat the Thunder in six games in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Monday's Best
Mitchell had great moments—he hit a half-court shot to beat the first-quarter buzzer, and he crossed over Westbrook and hit nothing but net on a pull-up jumper in the second period—mixed with issues he'll try to put behind him (six turnovers and five fouls in only 27 minutes). Mitchell, who shot 3-for-8 from 3-point range and 4-for-4 from the line, scored 11 of his 19 points in the second quarter to help the Jazz keep the game close.
Significant Stats
20
Utah's ball security was once again a problem as the Jazz finished with 20 turnovers (which led to 23 OKC points).
-13
The Jazz cut the lead to nine late in the second quarter, but the Thunder pulled away for good after halftime, outscoring Utah 42-29 in the third period.
+16
Udoh and Danté Exum checked into the game together early in the fourth quarter, and the duo promptly led the Jazz to a 38-23 advantage in the final period. They each finished with a net rating of +16 in nine minutes, with Udoh registering a season-high 10 points (on 5-for-5 shooting) and two blocks, and Exum scoring nine points and dishing out three assists.
Notable
Utah has not won a regular season game in Oklahoma City since October 31, 2010. ... The Jazz have played more road games (18) than any other team. ... The Thunder are now 14-1 against teams with records below .500. ... Gobert (third quarter) and Schroder (fourth quarter) each picked up a technical foul. ... Utah shot 51.2 percent from the field. ... The Jazz are now 9-9 on the road.
Up Next
The Jazz will return home to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7pm MT.
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