Utah bowed out in overtime.
Lauri Markkanen was not at his best against Houston. AOP / USA TODAY Sports
Lauri Markkanen gave Utah a 126–123 lead with 1:35 left in overtime. The Jazz still experienced a stinging defeat in the end, when Houston took the game with points 127–126.
The loss was Utah’s second in a row after a six-game winning streak.
The evening was quieter than usual for Markkanen, as the Finn, who bagged 22 points, was only the third best scorer of his team and the fifth best scorer of the entire match. Houston scored the most points (37). Alperen Sengün.
Markkanen went for the three 11 times, but only three of the throws sank in. In total, the man had 18 shot attempts, eight of which slipped into the basket.
The star, who played almost 39 minutes, also grabbed nine rebounds and one assist.
Utah continues in the West in ninth and Houston in tenth.