Thunder vs. Jazz recap: OKC has no answer for Lauri Markkanen in loss to Utah
It felt written in stone. A sign of fate, as his 17 third-quarter points had been.
Drifting toward the sideline with 44 seconds to play, Lauri Markkanen hoisted a 3 that served as the period on a poetic night just days before the NBA trade deadline. A revelation worthy of a head nod. That is why the Jazz won’t trade the All-Star forward.
He’d played a part in a rare sight: The Thunder being beaten in a tough shotmaking contest.
As far as this season goes, that hardly happens. Not when Jalen Williams is in the lineup, like he was Tuesday in a 124-117 Thunder loss. Or when Oklahoma City’s promising young trio of Williams, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play as well as they did.
Markkanen contributed to the revolution. He didn’t just push back on the Thunder’s tough-shot wager, he ignited conversation about almost every flaw (there aren’t many) that OKC fans want to see addressed before Thursday.
He made 12 of his 18 shots, including a couple heartbreakers, that saw him finish with 33 points and 11 rebounds. The trade-machine centric forward showed exactly why the prospect of him being moved isn’t much more than fan fiction — at least without what feels like a backbreaking trove of assets.
Somewhere in the distance, Danny Ainge was likely wrapping another short call.
The Thunder squeezed all it could out of its Big Three. Holmgren dealt painful pick-and-pop 3s. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like a one-man army at times. Williams, in his first game back from a five-game absence, responded to the bat signal that projects just before the fourth quarter.
They combined for 76 points. They accentuated each other’s flashes. The Thunder shot 19 for 37 from deep as a team. Markkanen, rookie Keyonte George and the Jazz just had the ammunition to compete. Theirs fired differently.
There were stretches where the shotmaking didn’t need to be so tough. Utah outscored OKC 60 to 36 in the paint — an anomaly of an inside scoring gap that looked and felt natural on Tuesday. The Jazz, the league’s second-best best rebounding team, emphasized the gap between them. It outrebounded the Thunder by 16 and scored 10 more second-chance points.
Without Holmgren in the game, Markkanen and friends led the late third-quarter charge (a 16-0 run at one point) that left the Thunder stumbling. Then the real separation came with the defense.
Utah’s wall-ups began to act like enclosed spaces, booby traps awaiting OKC’s offense. Kris Dunn was disruptive and irritating, tallying three blocks, four steals and a lot of ibuprofen orders. It unleashed a zone that sucked away oxygen, and took it a step further by having Markkanen obnoxiously abandon Josh Giddey in the corner on a critical late possession.
Markkanen listened. He indulged in the back-and-forth, he stomached the Thunder’s runs. Then he hung up the phone himself.
(Not) in the zone
Few things have truly thwarted the Thunder this season. Zone defense is among them.
For some teams, it’s part of their philosophy. For some, they just happen to have the personnel. Some would be outright foolish to not at least try it against OKC.
There are lineups that contribute to tough possessions against it. Mostly ones that feature Giddey, since defenses have continuously disrespected him the way Markkanen did late. Utah showed length in lineups with three big frontcourt players, with hounds in gaps, with a knack for the ball.
And on Tuesday, it had a 53 defensive rating against OKC in 19 possessions of zone. For reference, its rating was 129 on all others.
“If you’re seeing the same looks every night, that means you’re not beating anybody,” Holmgren said.
The experience to deal with it will come with time. The mastery of it might not be possible while teams defended Giddey the way they have. In fairness, Isaiah Joe, a zone repellent that can drill 3s from virtually anywhere, was missing once more Tuesday. He likely would’ve neutralized some of those possessions.
Another zone breaker, Vasilije Micic, struggled to find the separation and burst to be much of a threat offensively Tuesday.
Utah teetered betweened drop coverage and impactful zones, and Tuesday’s finish was the product.
Pretty Dieng good
Fans have crossed their fingers for a breakthrough. Some flash that encourages them to not give up on Ousmane Dieng while the Thunder’s timeline speeds past early development and toward playoff aspirations.
Dieng showed just enough Tuesday.
He finished with eight points without a missed shot, a pair of rebounds, a block and steal. He was a team-high plus-9.
He shot spot-up 3s without hesitation. He got off the ball quickly and made sound decisions. He showed transitional awareness and the ability to pick up George while heading downhill and blocking his shot. His length was on display, not hidden.
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Thunder vs. Jazz live score updates
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Final: Jazz 124, Thunder 117
Utah simply outplayed OKC late. The shotmaking from Markkanen and George, the defensive plays at the rim and from Kris Dunn. Tough to beat OKC in a game when it hit like it did early on. 19 for 37 from 3, combined 76 pts from the Big 3 not enough.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
End of 3Q: Jazz 96, Thunder 92
Utah takes its first lead since the 1Q late there. 19-3 run to end the quarter. Shotmaking leaned back their way, including a pair of huge shots from Markkanen and Dunn. Jazz switching coverages late seemed to throw OKC off. Some ill-timed TOs.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
Half: Thunder 68, Jazz 61
SGA with 19-3-4 on 12 shots. Some slippage midway through the second in the lineups without him. Came through and carried leading into the half with four straight buckets. JDub with 13. Dieng a plus-13. OKC still hot: 58.7% FG, 8 for 15 from 3.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
End of 1Q: Thunder 33, Jazz 28
Just a wild leaning J from SGA to end the quarter, then harasses Keyonte George on the inbound with 0.7 seconds left. 12-2-3 for him. The rebounding has been problematic, but the shotmaking is there. OKC shooting 56%, 4 for 8 from deep.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
OKC Thunder injury updates: Jalen Williams available
Jalen Williams and Vasilije Micic have both been upgraded to available ahead of tonight’s game in Utah.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
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Thunder vs. Jazz start time today
Matchup: Thunder (35-15) vs. Jazz (25-26)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 6
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Where: Delta Center in Salt Lake City
Betting line: Thunder by 3
Box score: Click HERE
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Thunder vs. Jazz TV channel today
TV: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: 98.1 FM, 640 AM
Streaming: Fubo (free trial).
If you don't have Bally Sports Oklahoma, you can sign up for Fubo with a free trial to watch the Thunder all season long.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder has no answer for Lauri Markkanen in loss to Utah Jazz
