Jazz Surprise Cleveland with Impressive 123-112 Victory

The Utah Jazz erased Saturday’s humiliation against the Charlotte Hornets (55-point loss) by pulling off a surprising 123-112 victory on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A remarkable collective performance orchestrated by Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George, who combined for 60 points.

On Cleveland’s side, former Jazz player Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points, while Darius Garland led the Cavaliers’ offense with 23 points. Despite this offensive production, the Cavaliers couldn’t contain the Jazz’s second-half explosion.

A Spectacular Comeback After a Difficult Second Quarter

Utah started the game perfectly with a blazing 21-4 run before Cleveland gradually fought back. The Cavaliers completely dominated the second quarter 40-20, taking a 62-54 halftime lead.

Unlike Saturday’s fiasco, the Jazz avoided total collapse by attacking the third quarter with a 16-8 run, retaking the lead 90-86 before the final period. This ability to respond demonstrates Utah’s resilience.

Markkanen carried his team in the first half with 16 points scored. In the second half, George took over spectacularly. « He hit important shots down the stretch, his ability to create offense for us continues to show up, especially when the game slows down, » said Jazz coach Will Hardy.

George exploded after halftime with 25 points, finishing the game with 32 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. His shooting performance was remarkable: 8/16 from the field, 4/8 from three-point range, and a perfect 12/12 from the free-throw line. Utah also dominated the boards 50-30 with the return of Jusuf Nurkic.

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This loss drops the Cavaliers to 22 wins and 19 losses, placing them seventh in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will likely have to go through the play-in to reach the playoffs, a concerning situation for a team that had higher ambitions this season.