In a demonstration of absolute power, the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Utah Jazz with a score of 144-112 in an NBA Cup match, extending their winning streak to eight games and solidifying their position as one of the most formidable teams in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the offense with 31 points, propelling the Thunder to a spectacular comeback after trailing by as much as 18 points in the first half. The 32-point victory was the largest for any team that has been down by 15 or more points in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98). The game was a display of resilience for Oklahoma City, which now has a 5-0 record in games where it has been down by double digits, being the only team without losses in such circumstances. Gilgeous-Alexander, who has notably improved his three-point shooting, made all three attempts against Utah, also adding 9 of 13 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. With this performance, the player has 14 games with more than 30 points in his first 17 games, the most for any player in the first 17 games of a season since Michael Jordan in 1986-87. Isaiah Joe contributed 16 points and Jaylin Williams added 15, setting a new personal best with five three-pointers. The Thunder, who remain undefeated in the NBA Cup (2-0), achieved an impressive 61.4% field goal percentage and 62.2% on three-pointers, making 23 of 37 attempts. Keyonte George scored 20 points and Lauri Markkanen added 19 for the Jazz, who now have a 5-10 overall record and 0-3 in the tournament. The Thunder’s defense was relentless, forcing 28 turnovers that translated into 44 points, disrupting the Jazz’s game and generating frustration among their players. A key moment in the game was the third quarter, where the Thunder, led by a suffocating defense and a 69.2% success rate from the three-point line, achieved a partial score of 33-4, including a streak of 22 consecutive points. Oklahoma City, recognized as the best team in the league in the third quarter, forced nine turnovers in this period. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the third quarter, contributing to OKC outscoring Utah 43-20 in this period. The comeback was even more remarkable considering Utah had an 18-point lead (39-21) before OKC took a 36-point lead by the end of the game.
Despite the loss, the Jazz showed a good performance in the first quarter, scoring 44 points, the most any team has achieved in a quarter against the Thunder this season, giving them a 44-30 lead. That 14-point difference after the first quarter equaled the largest deficit overcome by a team that won by more than 30 points in NBA history.
Utah led throughout the first half, but the Thunder managed to get close at 68-67. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault received a technical foul for protesting a referee’s decision at the end of the first half.
