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DETROIT — Collin Sexton tallied 30 points, while Lauri Markkanen contributed 27 points along with 14 rebounds, leading the Utah Jazz to a 126-119 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. This win marked only their second triumph in their last 10 outings.
Keyonte George also made a significant contribution for Utah, scoring 28 points. The Jazz managed to establish a commanding 29-point lead during the first quarter, despite battling through 27 turnovers, and improved their record to 6-20.
Cade Cunningham led the way for the Pistons, scoring 33 points before fouling out in the last minute of the game. Malik Beasley chipped in with 23 points for Detroit.
Utah held a 15-point advantage with just 3:54 remaining, but a series of five turnovers allowed the Pistons to close the gap to 114-109 with 1:45 left in the game. However, John Collins and George responded swiftly with back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the score to 120-109 with only 51 seconds left on the clock.
Takeaways
Jazz: George made a notable return after previously turning his ankle and leaving the game in the third quarter. The team had suffered significant losses in their prior three games, averaging a defeat margin of 29.7 points and allowing an overwhelming 139.7 points per contest.
Pistons: Paul Reed, who had been waived last weekend but re-signed earlier this week, scored 12 points and secured a season-high of nine rebounds.
Key Moment
The pivotal moment occurred when the Pistons trailed 93-81 with 1:36 left in the third quarter, prompting a brief altercation during a deadball situation. Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Reed received technical fouls after some pushing, while both Clarkson and Ron Holland II were ejected after confronting one another.
Key Stat
Remarkably, the Jazz scored 42 points in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Sexton and George were on fire, combining for 22 points with an impressive shooting performance of 7-for-8, including a perfect 6-for-6 from the three-point range, allowing Utah to gain a massive 27-point lead. The first quarter concluded with a score of 48-19.
Up Next
Both teams are scheduled to be back on the court this Saturday night. The Jazz will head to Brooklyn for their next matchup, while the Pistons will travel to Phoenix.
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