Array
SALT Lauri Markkanen had 33 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Utah Jazz to a 124-117 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
John Collins chipped in 22 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz while Keyonte George added 16 points and five assists. Utah outscored the Thunder 19-9 in second-chance points and had a 60-36 edge in the paint.
“Our defense in protecting the paint is ultimately what gave us chance to win,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 28 points and seven assists. Jalen Williams had 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists and Chet Holmgren added 22 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City scored 21 points off 17 Utah turnovers.
The Thunder made 19 3-pointers but only scored eight points in the paint after halftime.
“They outrebounded us, they won the paint battle, losing those two things in the margins we lost them in, it’s going to be hard to win a basketball game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “There’s things to fix before shot making.
