Jazz 119, Thunder 118: Three Key Takeaways

On Thursday night, Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 43 points, while Walker Kessler blocked seven shots and hauled in a whopping 18 rebounds as the Utah Jazz defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime, 119-118. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points in a losing cause.

It felt like the Thunder were on a path to victory, with the Jazz playing uphill the entire second half. But Utah was able to keep it within single digits the entire way through, led by a starting five that combined for 95 points.

Despite being down most of the night, it was the Jazz getting the defensive stops and making the clutch free throws that allowed the team to steal the victory.

What did we learn in Utah’s first game post-All-Star break? Let’s take a look.

Kessler Comes Through

Kessler was responsible for sending the game into overtime with a two-point put back with 4.1 seconds left, followed by a blocked shot at the rim at the end of regulation. However, the most memorable shot was the three-pointer Kessler knocked down on a designed play to start the game.

Head coach Will Hardy joked about it in his postgame press conference.

"I'll steal some of your questions," Hardy said.” "Yes, that first play was designed for Walker. Yes he bullied me into it after All-Star weekend... Yes, I might have created a monster."

All jokes aside, the Jazz don’t win this game without Kessler's presence in the paint. It’s also worth noting that the 2022 first-round pick logged a career-high 37 minutes of time on the court. Can you say 'Rookie of the Year?'

Markkanen’s Big Fourth Quarter

Utah’s leading scorer showed the NBA why he was selected to start in his first All-Star game by exploding for 18 fourth-quarter points. Utah needed every one of them to escape Vivint Arena with a win.

But just as importantly, Markkanen has proven that he can be counted on in the clutch. On Utah’s last possession in overtime, Markkanen was fouled on a three-point attempt with the Jazz down two points. 'The Finnisher' calmly knocked down three free throws to give Utah its first second-half lead with 4.6 seconds left. Donovan who?

Utah’s Depth a Problem

The Jazz escaped with a win, but if there’s a weakness moving forward, it's going to be a lack of depth. Coach Hardy chose to go with a 10-man rotation, but with where things stand, it might be a good idea to shorten it up.

Simone Fontecchio, Damian Jones, and Juan Toscano-Anderson combined for two points on 1-for-10 shooting. Although, on a high note, newcomer Kris Dunn played well in his first game in a Jazz uniform. The seven-year veteran finished the game with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.

Next up are the lottery-bound San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night with a tip-off time of 7:00 pm MDT.

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