Lauri Markkanen scored his second highest points of the season and decided Utah’s victory over Oklahoma in the final seconds.
Matti Lehtisaari,
STT Sports
of Utah Lauri Markkanen was on fire as basketball’s NBA returned from hiatus. Markkanen scored a whopping 43 points and decided the Jazz’s home victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the last seconds. Utah beat Oklahoma in overtime 120-119.
The scoring haul was Markkanen’s second best of the season. Markkanen sealed Utah’s home victory by making three free throws just 4.6 seconds before the end of overtime.
The Finnish star of his team was an essential factor in Jazz’s final streak. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter of the match, with which the Jazz overcame the opponent’s nine-point lead. About Markkanen’s teammates Walker Kessler scored the equalizer and took the match to overtime.
Markkanen was in a class of his own in Jazz’s point production. Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points and had six assists. Kessler was strong in rebounding with 18 rebounds.
Jazz was missing a credit man Collin Sexton due to a hamstring injury.
In the ranks of Oklahoma Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points. He had a chance to secure his team’s victory at the end of overtime, but the ball missed the basket on a jump shot.
In more than 40 minutes of play, Markkanen recorded ten rebounds and two basket assists in addition to points. The Finn’s three-point shots were not as successful as usual, as only three of the 12 attempts went in. From the free throw line, Markkanen was unerring with ten successes from as many attempts.
The Jazz are ninth in the NBA’s Western Conference. The team has 30 wins and 31 losses.