The Utah Jazz (10-15) secured their second straight win after outlasting the Dallas Mavericks (10-17) in an intense 140-133 overtime win on December 16.
Here are the key stats and the top performers of the game:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Lauri Markkanen UTA PF 33 PTS | 16 REB | 4 STL | 73.7 FPS
Markkanen had an off night from three but still finished with his 12th 29-point game of the season. He’s been very steady on offence this season, ranking 6th in total points scored and averaging 27.2 points this month. He also delivered in other areas, posting season-high numbers in both rebounds and steals.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE:
Cooper Flagg DAL SF 42 PTS | 7 REB | 6 AST | 64.4 FPS
Flagg put on a show, stuffing the stat sheet and converting 15-of-20 free throws to finish with a career-best scoring performance. He also set a new NBA record for the most points at 18 years old, surpassing James, who previously held the record with 37 points. He’s been playing at a very high level lately, averaging 25.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 54.5% shooting.
SCORING MACHINES:
Keyonte George UTA PG 37 PTS | 5 REB | 6 AST | 50.0 FPS
George has been on fire in his last two games, averaging 38 points on 23-for-40 shooting, along with 5 triples and 10 free throws. This was also his sixth 30-point game of the season and his third with at least five three-pointers made.
PJ Washington DAL PF 25 PTS | 13 REB | 1 BLK | 41.6 FPS
PJ delivered his sixth 20-point outing and added his 5th 10-rebound game with a season-high performance. This was also the ninth time this season that he’s led the team in rebounding.
STAT SPECIALIST:
Ryan Nembhard DAL PG 14 PTS | 4 REB | 11 AST | 34.3 FPS
Nembhard was held scoreless against the Nets but he made up for it today, posting his fifth double-digit scoring game with his third double-digit playmaking performance this month.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT:
Isaiah Collier UTA PG 10 PTS | 8 AST | 2 STL | 34.6 FPS
Collier came up big on the defensive end, finishing with multiple stocks for just the fourth time this year. He also added his seventh 10-point outing and his eighth 7-assist performance of the season.
THE SHARPSHOOTER:
Klay Thompson DAL SG 12 PTS | 4-9 3PT | 1 STL | 17.4 FPS
Thompson is shooting a career-worst 36% this season. But he’s starting to find his rhythm from long-range, scoring in double-figures and hitting at least triples four times this month.
THE X-FACTOR:
Kyle Filipowski UTA C 25 PTS | 9 REB | 1 BLK | 38.3 FPS
Filipowski had a rough time against the Grizzlies, finishing with a season-worst output in scoring. But he bounced back today, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter and finishing 9-for-13 from the field to register his second 20-point game in his last three outings.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Naji Marshall DAL SF 15 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 23.1 FPS
Marshall had an unproductive first quarter, but he picked it up in the second, scoring 8 and finishing with his fifth-straight 15-point performance and his seventh of his last eight games.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE GAME:
Ace Bailey UTA SF 7 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST
Bailey has struggled offensively lately, hitting just 1-of-7 three-pointers over his last two games and scoring under 10 points in each.
