Utah Jazz pickup huge win over Oklahoma City Thunder behind monster Lauri Markkanen performance

In a Northwest division matchup, the Utah Jazz came out victorious over the top 2 seeded OKC Thunder 124-117 with the help of a huge Lauri Markkanen game.

Lauri Markkanen has revived his career with the Utah Jazz. The Marksman was drafted 7th overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, but things didn’t go as planned and he got shipped to Cleveland in the 2021 offseason.

One year later he got moved to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade, and that’s when the former lottery pick got to blossom. Since arriving to Salt Lake City, the Finnisher is averaging 24.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, earning him an All-Star appearance and winning Most Improved Player.

Markkanen ended the night with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. John Collins had a great game too, finishing with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Keyontae George had 16 points and 5 assists off the bench.

For OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 28 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Jalen Williams had 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while Chet Holmgren finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks.

Meanwhile, this win improves the Jazz to 26-26, which makes them 10th in the Western Conference. Utah is now 1 game behind the 9th seeded Lakers and 1.5 games above the 11th seeded Warriors. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games and currently on a 2-game winning streak. Their next game will be on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Thunder to 35-16, making them tied with the Clippers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets for the top seed in the West. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games and will get a long break as their next game will be on Saturday afternoon against the Dallas Mavericks.