Skip to content

NBA Game Summary - Oklahoma City at Utah

Salt Lake City, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - Alec Burks scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Utah Jazz overcame a slow start and downed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 98-81, on Tuesday.

All five Jazz starters scored in double figures, with Enes Kanter donating 16 points and 15 rebounds, Trey Burke putting up 17 points with nine assists, and Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors adding 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Jeremy Lamb logged 19 points for Oklahoma City, which has dropped three straight and fell to 3-9 on the season.

The Thunder held the high-scoring Rockets to 69 points on Sunday -- albeit in a loss -- and were stingy early on Tuesday as they allowed just 14 points in the first quarter.

A nine-point lead heading into the second quarter increased to 17 on a Steven Adams dunk midway through the frame, but the Jazz took over from there.

"It comes down to us being able to execute on both ends for 48 minutes, there's not a lot of room for error," Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. "The guys understand that, but we have to be able to execute on the court."

Oklahoma City made just one field goal over the final six minutes of the half, and Utah's subsequent 18-3 run -- with a dozen points coming from the foul line -- cut the deficit to 42-40 at the break.

A Hayward bucket midway through the third gave the Jazz their first lead at 53-52, and a 15-2 run over the final three minutes gave the hosts a 57-48 cushion.

Burks, Joe Ingles and Dante Exum each connected from long range during the huge push, and two more Exum 3-pointers in the opening three minutes of the final stanza made it a 65-50 game.

Utah led by at least 12 the rest of the way.

"I felt like we just fought hard. We came out a little static, but we came out the second half and fought hard and won the game," Burks said.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox